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ILLINOIS, U.S. – In what came as an unusually fierce criticism of his successor, the former U.S. President Barack

assailed Donald Trump and Republicans on Friday.

Delivering a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Obama declared that Americans were living in dangerous times, before accusing Republicans of “abuses of power.”

Having maintained a relatively low profile since leaving office in January 2017, Obama managed to frustrate some Democrats by refraining from publicly criticizing his successor even though the string of controversies related to the Trump administration have continued to pile on. 

On Friday, however, the 44th president of the U.S. accused Republicans of being unwilling to safeguard democracy, dividing the country, and going along with Trump’s policies or worst instincts by “actively promoting the crazy stuff that is coming out of this White House.”

He blamed Republicans of cosying up to Russia and undermining global alliances.

Speaking in the state where he launched his own political career, Obama choose the path that defied political tradition of former presidents refraining from criticizing the sitting presidents. 

In November 2016, a day after Trump was elected, Obama said he wouldn’t pass any comments on the impact of ‘Trumpisms’ on America while at the Oval Office, but might when he becomes a private citizen.  

On Friday, the former U.S. President argued that he had been intending to follow the American tradition of former presidents exiting the political stage but pointed out, “this is not normal, these are extraordinary times and they are dangerous times.”

In his speech to students, Obama slammed his successor’s initial restraint in condemning far-right protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia last year.

Fuming at the President’s initial response to blame both the sides for the violent protests that left one person dead, Obama said, “We are supposed to stand up to bullies, not follow them. We are supposed to stand up to discrimination and we sure as heck supposed to stand up clearly and unequivocally to Nazi sympathisers. How hard can that be? Saying Nazis are bad?”

He also slammed Trump’s calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate his political enemies and said,

“It should not be a partisan issue to say that we do not pressure the attorney general or the FBI to use the criminal justice system as a cudgel to punish our political opponents.”

Further, Obama ridiculed Trump for taking credit for economic gains that began under his own administration.

The former U.S. President said that Trump was exploiting cultural fears and economic anger that have grown in recent years amid societal upheavals.

Obama pointed out, “It did not start with Donald Trump. He is a symptom, not the cause. He’s just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years.”

Indifference, cynicism threatening Democracy

With both parties urging core supporters to vote during the November 6 midterm elections, Obama is set to hit the campaign trail and will make appearances in Southern California, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

Obama told students in Urbana-Champaign, “If you thought that elections don’t matter, I hope these last two years have corrected that impression.”

He explained, “Now, some of you may think I am exaggerating when I say this election is more important than any I can remember in my lifetime. But just a glance at recent headlines should tell you that this moment really is different.”

Then, he made an apparent reference to a New York Times editorial, which was attributed to a senior Trump administration official who not only presented an unflattering description of the White House under Trump but also exposed a “quiet resistance” against the U.S. President inside his official residence.

The anonymous senior administration official, who has managed to sow discord in the Trump circle, claimed that he had been working with colleagues on the “quiet resistance within the administration” by “choosing to put country first” and protect it from Trump’s “worst inclinations.”

However, Obama pointed out, “They are not doing us a service by actively promoting 90 percent of the crazy stuff that is coming out of this White House and then saying, ‘Don’t worry. We are preventing the other 10 percent.'”

Obama declared, “The politics of division and resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican Party.”

Calling for “a restoration of honesty and decency and lawfulness in our government,” Obama urged Democrats to deliver a vital check on the “abuses of power” by Republicans.

Obama said that since Republicans had failed to protect democracy, voters would have to do it for them.

The former President pointed out that the American democracy depended on his audience turning out to vote in the November’s congressional mid-term elections.

Obama said, “In two months we have the chance to restore some semblance of sanity to our politics. There is only one check on abuses of power, and that’s you and your vote.”

He added, “In the end, the threat to our democracy doesn’t just come from Donald Trump or the current batch of Republicans in Congress. The biggest threat to our democracy is indifference. The biggest threat to our democracy is cynicism.”

Obama said that a vote against Republicans could restore “honesty and decency and lawfulness” to government.

To gain majorities in Congress and stifle Trump’s agenda, Democrats will need to pick up 23 seats in the House of Representatives and two seats in the Senate.

With eight weeks to go, the November elections is largely being seen as a referendum on Trump.

If Republicans succeed at maintaining control of Congress, they would be able to forestall possible impeachment proceedings against Trump – which is a real threat, even though Democrats have publicly downplayed efforts to force the President out.

Addressing a Republican fundraiser in Fargo, North Dakota, Trump claimed he had watched his predecessor’s speech but dismissed Obama’s warnings.

Trump said, “I’m sorry, I watched it but I fell asleep,” adding, “I found that he’s very, very good for sleeping.”

In Montana, Trump told his supporters, “If it (impeachment) does happen, it’s your fault, because you didn’t go out to vote. Okay? You didn’t go out to vote. You didn’t go out to vote. That’s the only way it could happen.”

Trump also argued that Obama was trying to take credit for “the incredible things happening to our country.”

Meanwhile, Republicans too shrugged off Obama’s criticism, with Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Ahrens commenting, “In 2016, voters rejected President Obama’s policies and his dismissiveness towards half the country. Doubling down on that strategy won’t work in 2018 either.”