As the Hip Hop community remains gripped by the sinking reality that Donald Trump will be our new president, many supporters of President Barack Obama are sad to see him go. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, President Obama spoke on the future of the nation just a day after Trump’s unlikely victory over Hillary Clinton but not with the somber tone many might have expected.
Below are five things we’ve learned from Barack Obama’s final interview as president with Rolling Stone.
Obama Was Disappointed With Trump Win But Remains Hopeful
President Obama said he was “disappointed” by Trump’s win. However, the president doesn’t feel like it signals a death knell for the country.
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“I don’t feel dismayed, because, number one, I couldn’t be prouder of the work that we’ve done over the last eight years. When I turn over the keys to the federal government to the next president of the United States, I can say without any equivocation that the country is a lot better off: The economy is stronger, the federal government works better, and our standing in the world is higher.”
Obama Says Trump’s Campaign Seemed To Play Off Fear Versus Fact
Rolling Stone suggested that Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic Party ignored the white middle-class voting bloc, which Obama pushed back on swiftly.
“That is, I think, an incorrect interpretation. You start reading folks saying, “Oh, you know, working-class families have been neglected,” or “Working-class white families have not been paid attention to by Democrats.” Actually, they have. What is true, though, is that whatever policy prescriptions that we’ve been proposing don’t reach, are not heard, by the folks in these communities. And what they do hear is Obama or Hillary are trying to take away their guns or they disrespect you.”
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The President Intends To Take It Easy After Handing Over The Reigns
For the past eight years, Obama’s presidency has been marked by extreme highs and turbulent lows. When he rides off into the sunset in a couple of months, he already has a few plans in the works.
“You know, I’m gonna sleep for a couple of weeks when I get out of here, take my wife on a well-deserved vacation. And I’ll spend time in my first year out of office writing a book, and I’m gonna be organizing my presidential center, which is gonna be focused on precisely this issue of how do we train and empower the next generation of leadership.”
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Obama Says It’s Time For The Country To Be Great
President Obama is aware that people are less-than-enthused about Trump and some of his policies, especially millennials who are shaping the country’s future. Obama is urging everyone to step up and stand their ground.
“If you want to persuade me that everything is going to be terrible, then we can talk ourselves into that. Or we can act. It is what it is. There’s been an election. There’s going to be a Trump presidency, and Republicans are going to control Congress. And the question is gonna be, for those like you and I, who care about these issues, do we figure out how to continue to make progress in this environment until we have a chance for the next election.”
Relaxed Marijuana Laws Have Obama’s Attention But With Caution
It isn’t a secret that President Obama was a weed smoker in times past, but as president he’s taken a balanced approach on laws surrounding the leaf. He said at one point in the interview that once he’s private citizen he’ll say more, but he does see the recent changes to laws as a good thing.
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“Look, I’ve been very clear about my belief that we should try to discourage substance abuse. And I am not somebody who believes that legalization is a panacea. But I do believe that treating this as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it.”
Read the full interview here.
