Donald Trump Slams President Obama’s ‘Third Term’ Claim Via Twitter
It’s the Monday after the holiday weekend, and like so many Americans back to work, back to the grind and back to reality, president-elect Donald Trump got back to work today- on Twitter. In response to outgoing president Barack Obama’s interview with David Axelrod on his “Axe Files” podcast, Trump’s tweet contradicted Obama’s claim that had he been allowed to run for a third term, he could have mobilized enough voters to secure a victory. According to Politico, President Obama was quoted on the podcast as saying the following.
“I am confident in this vision because I’m confident that if I — if I had run again and articulated it, I think I could’ve mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it.”
Around 4:40 PM, just hours after the Obama story broke, Donald Trump set the record straight via Twitter, his preferred platform of media.
President Obama said that he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that but I say NO WAY! – jobs leaving, ISIS, OCare, etc.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016
Trump referred to ISIS, the Islamic terror network that has plagued the Obama administration, waging war across the Middle East and claiming responsibility for numerous terrorist acts around the globe. He also mentioned “jobs leaving,” perhaps alluding to his own campaign promise to bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States and penalize corporations who move factories outside the country. “Ocare” is a short term for Obamacare, as the President-elect hints at the Republican controlled White House, Senate and House of Representatives’ pledge to reverse the Affordable Care act legislation passed by Obama during his first term.
The 22nd amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951, officially imposed a two term limit to the presidency, so the indirect conversation between Donald Trump and Barack Obama is purely speculative. Prior to the 22nd amendment, several presidents had tried unsuccessfully to seek a third term, but with an historic four terms elected, only Franklin Delano Roosevelt ever served more than eight years. FDR died early in his fourth term and was replaced by his vice president, Harry Truman.
Much of the speculation that led to Obama’s claim and Trump’s subsequent rebuttal come from polling numbers that suggest the low favorability ratings of both Trump and challenger Hillary Clinton were easily surpassed by the POTUS’ latest approval rating of 57 percent, his highest in seven years.
The United Nations has such great potential but right now it is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time. So sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2016
Trump has repeatedly taken to Twitter to address policy proposals and air grievances, often with much attention from the media. He has nearly 18 million followers on the social site, and just moments after the Obama tweet, he appeared to take a shot at the United Nations, calling it a “club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.” A frequent accusation of Donald Trump during his bid for the presidency has been the inefficiency of government alliances and organizations here in the United States and around the globe. He and his cabinet appointees have vowed to cut budgets and strengthen the operations of federal departments.
During his run for the Oval Office, Trump has criticized NATO, the American and European global alliance that was formed after the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949, and he now seemed to be focusing his disappointment on the United Nations. Formed after WWII as a replacement for the failed League of Nations, the UN now has 193 member states. The United Nations will introduce a new Secretary General on January 1, António Guterres of Portugal, who will succeed outgoing head Ban Ki-moon.
One thing is certain, there will be no third term for Obama, but as president-elect Trump hasn’t held a press conference in the last 152 days, Americans increasingly look to Twitter to see what’s on his mind.
[Featured Image By Evan Vucci/AP Images]
