President Obama said he'd speak when our core values are at stake — he has spoken

Two days before leaving office, Obama said he would continue to speak out when “our core values may be at stake” pic.twitter.com/VIxx8v3upU

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 30, 2017

But there’s a difference between that normal functioning of politics and certain issues or certaint moments where I think our core values may be at stake. I’d put in that category if I saw systematic discrimination being ratified in some fashion. I’d put in that category explicit or functional obstacles to people being able to vote, to exercise their franchise. I’d put in that category institutional efforts to silence dissent or the press. And for me, at least, I would put in that category efforts to round up kids who have grown up here and for all practical purposes are American kids, and send them someplace else, when they love this country, they are our kids’ friends and their classmates, and are now entering into community colleges, or in some cases serving in our military. The notion that we would just arbitrarily, or because of politics, punish those kids when they didn’t do anything wrong themselves, I think would be something that would merit me speaking out. It doesn’t mean that I would get on the ballot in any way.

True to his word, Obama has now spoken out on Trump’s executive order barring nationals from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the United States, saying that he “fundamentally disagrees” with the concept behind the ban, and offering support for the protestors.

OBAMA stmt: “The President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion” pic.twitter.com/3SsuIUbfSd

— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) January 30, 2017

The number of protests against Trump’s executive order are growing by the minute. Notably, more than fifty have taken place in red states. American citizens are speaking out — from New York City to NASCAR.

Opposition to Trump is uniting our country.

Thank you, President Obama, for speaking out.