Obama Returns To The Campaign Trail, Calls Out Trump As ‘Cozying Up To The Former Head Of The KGB’

Making an impassioned speech today at the University of Illinois, coinciding with his being offered the Paul H. Davis Award for Ethics in Government, former President Barack Obama made several strong assertions against the American administration headed by President Donald Trump. Saying that Trump’s government has been “cozying up to the former head of the KGB” and that people will call out “bigots and fear mongers” in a healthy democracy, Obama showed little love for the current administration and for the commander in chief, according to Fox News.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, it has been suggested for some time that Obama would return this week to start stumping for the Democrats in advance of the midterm elections to be held in November, which parties on both sides of the aisle have suggested is of the utmost political importance. The Hill has been offering the idea that Obama will be an invaluable aide to Democrats during the lead-up to the November decision by the American electorate — a notion which seems superficially obvious but may have deeper connotations that the party may be concerned with their current lack of a strong figure to tackle Trump head-on.

Former President Barack Obama also targeted the Republic Party in toto, dismissing conservative legislators and their stances, according to CNN.

“The politics of resentment and paranoia has unfortunately found a home in the Republican party.”

Obama drew loud cheers and applause from the audience — primarily comprised of university students in attendance for the ceremony — when he unambiguously declared that, “We need to stand up to bullies.”

In response to the stump speech by the former president, White House advisor Mercedes Schlapp told Fox News that the “real energy” resided at Trump rallies — taking a jab at the poor attendance at Clinton’s campaign rallies — and expounded upon the fact that the Trump administration had, so far, been successful in undoing much of Obama’s legislative and executive initiatives.

According to CNN, Obama has a full schedule of campaign activities planned over the course of the next few weeks, including a rally for a number of Democratic congressional candidates in California tomorrow as well as an event in support of Richard Cordray, the gubernatorial candidate in Ohio for the blue banner.

For their part, prominent Republicans claim that they welcome Obama’s return to the political arena with open arms, saying that it will energize their base and light a fire under Trump and his supporters. Rep. Steve Stivers, head of the National Republican Congressional Committee, made his position and that of his colleagues’ crystal clear during a media scrum earlier today.

“For three cycles (2010, 2012, 2014) President Obama fired up Republicans like nobody. And I’m happy he wants to do it again.”