While stumping for Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, President Obama tore into Donald Trump for praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reminding voters that the Republican nominee raved about Putin's "82 percent" approval rating, Obama noted that former Iraq President Saddam Hussein had a "90 percent poll rating." "I mean, if you control the media and you've taken away everybody's civil liberties, and you jail dissidents, that's what happens," Obama said, in what marked his first solo appearance on the campaign trail this election.
"Think about the fact that that is Donald Trump's role model," Obama said, before asking the audience if they could ever imagine Ronald Reagan "idolizing somebody like that."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Biltmore Mayfair review: a quintessential slice of luxury LondonThe Week Recommends This swanky retreat in Grosvenor Square blends old-world glamour with modern comforts
-
Is ChatGPT's new search engine OpenAI's Google 'killer'?Talking Point There's a new AI-backed search engine in town. But can it stand up to Google's decades-long hold on internet searches?
-
Crossword: November 5, 2024The Week's daily crossword
-
Moldova's pro-West president wins 2nd termSpeed Read Maia Sandu beat Alexandr Stoianoglo, despite suspicions of Russia meddling in the election
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstormingSpeed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
-
North Korea tests ICBM, readies troops in UkraineSpeed Read Thousands of North Korean troops are likely to join Russian action against Ukraine
-
Women take center stage in campaign finaleSpeed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
-
US election: who the billionaires are backingThe Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rollsSpeed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prisonSpeed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
-
Canada accuses top Modi ally of directing Sikh attacksSpeed Read Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists
