Obama took Trump's victory as a 'personal insult', couldn't believe that Americans had 'turned on him', claims book
According to a bombshell new book, former President Barack Obama considered the 2016 presidential victory of real estate mogul Donald Trump a "personal insult" and couldn't believe American citizens had "turned on him."
'Obama: The Call of History' by New York Times correspondent Peter Baker has laid bare Obama's fury over the election results, Daily Mail reports.
While the book was originally released in 2017, it has now been updated with "electrifying" reporting surrounding the 2016 elections.
After the results were in, Obama reportedly admitted "this stings", before spending the night watching 'Dr. Strange' in an attempt to try and distract himself. The former president couldn't digest the fact the American people had "turned on him" by electing someone he had written off as a "cartoon", the new book claims.
What's more? Obama, the first African American POTUS, also blamed twice-failed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for running a "scripted, soulless campaign" even after losing to him in her first attempt at the White House.
According to the report, Obama also compared himself to Michael Corleone from 'The Godfather', saying he was handing over power to a man who would "destroy his legacy."
Eventually, his fears were realized; President Trump reversed a major chunk of Obama's policies and practices. The political outsider put a stop to bowing in front of foreign leaders, establishing right to life as a priority in federal law, and building a foreign policy that puts the interests of America before anything else.
Baker claimed in his book that Obama, in his arrogance, thought there was "no way Americans would turn on him" despite Clinton's many flaws. Obama had entrusted Clinton with his legacy and wanted her to succeed him as she would help cement and polish his reputation.
"She was a serious and seasoned professional who had served at the highest levels of government and provided mature leadership," Baker wrote. "Just as important, she would continue his policies and cement his biggest achievements.” According to him, Obama felt his legacy would be safe in her hands.
On election night, Michelle went to bed early but Obama was glued to the TV set. He watched on in horror as Trump flipped the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, which had been Democratic strongholds for years.
“While Clinton had lost, so had he," the author wrote. "The country that had twice elected Barack Hussein Obama as its president had now chosen as his successor a man who had questioned the very circumstances of his birth.”
While he tried to keep his cool for as long as he could, he was unable to contain his rage after meeting Trump in the Oval Office. According to the report, Obama ultimately went through "multiple emotional stages" to become whole again.
Furthermore, Baker's book also highlighted why Obama was reluctant to criticize Russia for meddling in the 2016 election before the vote happened, fearing a forceful response would make Russia "escalate" its hacking operation.
According to Baker, Obama was led by his "cautious don't-do-stupid-s**t instincts," which forced him to think "if I speak out more, he'll just say it's rigged."