Barack Obama is taking issue with President Donald Trump and officials in his administration who suggest that criticizing the U.S. is “unpatriotic.”
Obama's Stance on Patriotism
“This idea that any suggestion or criticism that America was anything other than perfect is unpatriotic... is a suggestion that you hate your country,” said Obama in a clip previewing an upcoming interview with MS NOW’s Michelle Norris.
“Now the flip side is, among progressives, sometimes there is this sense of, well, the only true narrative of America is this one of oppression and exclusion. And I reject both those views. I think it’s complicated.”
Trump and Vance's Criticisms
Trump has repeatedly described critics — especially Democrats and members of the mainstream media — as “unpatriotic” over the course of his second term in response to those who challenge his leadership or disagree with his policies. In February, Trump called American skier Hunter Hess “a real loser” for expressing his “mixed emotions” about representing the red, white and blue at the Winter Olympics.
Vice President JD Vance has appeared to mimic Trump’s complaints, scolding Olympians who “pop off about politics.” On Tuesday, he used a Fox News appearance to whine about “terrible” Democrats not showing “gratitude” for America.
“Disagree with our policies, but if you don’t feel grateful to live here, for the people who made it possible, then what are you even doing being in public service? Too many Democrats don’t show appreciation for the country,” he said.
A Nuanced View of America
Obama, in his interview with Norris, said he thinks it’s possible to both “celebrate” the Founding Fathers and “look objectively and critically at how their values strayed very far from what they professed.”
“I think when you understand the complexities of America and the contradictions of America, I don’t think it makes you love it less. I think it makes you love it more,” he said.
Obama argued that this is a “perspective” that can help Americans during “mean periods” in the country’s history. “It fortifies you to say that, yes, this has been part of the journey that we’re on. And there’s no reason to suggest that we can’t get through this one either.”
