Obama, about Trump's statements regarding paracetamol and autism: “A violence against truth”
Barack Obama has harshly criticized Donald Trump's statements that link autism paracetamol, saying that they represent “a violence against truth” and a danger to public health.
Barack Obama harshly criticized Donald Trump's statements about Paracetamol Photo: Getty
Former US president spoke at the O2 of London, in an interview with journalist David Olusoga. Obama said that Trump's statements, who claimed that the administration of paracetamol in pregnancy would be associated with autism in infants, are “Continuously denied” by the medical community.
“We have the spectacle of my successor from the Oval Office that makes general statements about certain drugs and autism, which have been continuously denied ”, Obama said. “This undermines public health … and can harm women ”.
Trump had stated on Monday that “Tylenol administration is not good“ and that “All pregnant women should talk to their doctor about limiting the use of this medicine during pregnancy”.
The comments were also criticized by the British Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, who urged women to ignore Trump's advice, according to The Guardian.
Two visions over America
In his speech, Obama stressed that there is a confrontation between two perspectives on the future of the United States and the world: a progressive one, which promotes change through democracy, and another populist, which he has associated with Trump.
“My successor did not shy away to speak openly About this. His desire is to return to a very particular way of thinking about America, in which “we, the people” mean only part of the people, not all the people. And in which there are quite clear hierarchies regarding the status and place occupied by each ”said Obama.
At the same time, he also criticized his own camp, accusing the progressives of becoming “presumptuously“In the 90s and 2000s:”pretending that they believed in all these values because they were never tested. Now they are put to the test ”.
The discreet profile of the former president
Although it has generally avoided public exposure after leaving office, Obama has intervened more frequently, as the American political scene has radicalized. In London, he avoided naming Donald Trump directly, referring to it just like “My successor”.
In the evening he started with Olusoga's greeting for the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who had been attacked the day before Trump during a UN speech. Khan then replied that Trump “He has shown that he is racist, sexist, misogynist and Islamophob”.
Obama is located in the UK in a European speeches tour, which also includes a stop at Dublin on Friday. On Thursday, he is going to receive the title of honorary citizen of Dublin.
