Obama stays clear of naming President Trump in first speech since leaving office

Former US president Barack Obama was speaking at a University of Chicago event on Monday but made no direct reference to the current incumbent President Donald Trump.

Making his first public speech since leaving office, Barack Obama did not mention president Trump, who is closing in on his 100th day in office, even once.

Talking to students and young professionals at a forum organised by the university where he was a lecturer earlier, Obama focussed his talk on the growing polarisation in American politics and encouraging young people to engage more in politics and shaping policy.

He steered clear of either commenting or criticising the current president even though Trump has accused him, both personally and professionally, since taking office.

These include calling Obama "a bad guy," to unsubstantiated allegations of him ordering illegal wire tapping of Trump towers, the office and home of Trump in New York, before the 2016 US elections, his mismanagement of the country's intervention in the Middle east, among others.

The president has also tried to roll back Obama's signature health bill, tighten immigration laws and throw out the environment regulation brought in by him.

Though many of his supporters were expecting and even hoping for the former president to comment on these issues, he did not mention any of them.

Instead, he focussed on how increasing participation of young people can lead to solving modern day problems such as climate change, unequal oppurtunities for certain communities, and bringing changes to the judicial system.

"The one thing that I'm absolutely convinced of is that, yes we confront a whole range of challenges," Obama was reported to have said. He added, "All those issues are serious and daunting, but they are not insoluble. What is preventing us from tackling them and making more progress really has to do with our politics and civil life."

He conveyed to the audience that planned to focus his immediate post-White House life working with young people and guiding them "to take up the baton and take their crack at changing the world."

OneIndia News