LIVE: Former President Obama gives his first major speech ahead of 2018 midterms as he receives an ethics in government award from the University of Illinois. pscp.tv/w/1DXxyYNwVVkxM
Former President Obama: "You need to vote because our democracy depends on it."
Former President Obama on President Trump:
"He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years."
"He is a symptom, not the cause. He's just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years."
Former President Obama: “When you hear how great the economy is doing right now, let’s just remember when this recovery started.”
Former President Obama: "What happened to the Republican party? ... In a healthy democracy, there's some checks and balances on this kind of behavior, this kind of inconsistency. But right now there's nothing."
“We have the chance ... to restore some semblance of sanity to our politics,” says former President Obama.
“Because there is actually only one real check on bad policy and abuses of power, and that’s you — you and your vote.”
“Because there is actually only one real check on bad policy and abuses of power, and that’s you — you and your vote.”
Former President Obama: "It shouldn't be Democratic or Republican to say that we don't threaten the freedom of the press because they say things or publish stories we don't like."
Former President Obama:
“How hard can that be, saying that Nazis are bad?"
“How hard can that be, saying that Nazis are bad?"
LIVE: Former President Obama gives his first major speech ahead of 2018 midterms. pscp.tv/w/1DXxyYNwVVkxM
Former President Obama: “I complained plenty about Fox News, but you never heard me threaten to shut them down, or call them ‘enemies of the people.’”
Former President Obama: “When you vote, you’ve got the power to make sure white nationalists don’t feel emboldened to march with their hoods on or hoods off in Charlottesville.”
Former President Obama:
"Do not complain. Don't hashtag. Don't get anxious. Don't retreat. Don't binge on whatever it is you're binging on. Don't lose yourself in ironic detachment. Don't put your head in the sand. Don't boo. Vote. Vote."
"Do not complain. Don't hashtag. Don't get anxious. Don't retreat. Don't binge on whatever it is you're binging on. Don't lose yourself in ironic detachment. Don't put your head in the sand. Don't boo. Vote. Vote."
Saying these are "extraordinary" and "dangerous" times," former President Obama launched his most direct and forceful attack on President Trump. nbcnews.to/2CvRJQN
WATCH: Former President Obama's full speech from Friday: nbcnews.to/2O3CLmk
