Breaking: Former President Barack Obama Issues Statement on Anti-Trump Protests

‘American Values Are at Stake’

Former President Barack Obama has issued his first statement since leaving the White House ten days ago.

The 44th president, through a spokesperson, expressed support for anti-Trump protests and protestors across the nation, saying, “American values are at stake.”

“Citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake,” Kevin Lewis, the former president’s current spokesperson, said in a statement, as Politico reports. President Obama “is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country,” he added.

“With regard to comparisons to President Obama’s foreign policy decisions, as we’ve heard before, the president fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion.”

The former president did not mention Donald Trump by name.

UPDATE:
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell says Pres. Obama “had not planned to speak out this soon.”

Image by Obama White House via Flickr – Official White House Photo by Pete Souza