Trump's 'Obamagate' tweets timed to rally base ahead of close election
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WASHINGTON (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — The Justice Department's decision to drop criminal charges against former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn came at an opportune time for President Donald Trump. who has shifted focus to what he has termed "Obamagate."
The attack came as former President Barack Obama warned that under Trump, "the rule of law was at risk." Obama was referring to the Flynn case dismissal in a call with administration alumni, according to Yahoo News. In the call, Obama, who has largely stayed on the sidelines of the 2020 campaign, urged his former colleagues to throw their weight behind Biden.
Trump's timing has led many to accuse him of trying to distract from the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed 80,000 American lives and left more unemployed than the Great Depression. But highlighting the alleged abuses by the Obama administration as well as former heads of the Justice Department and FBI is a winner, politically, among Trump's base.
"Nothing energizes Trump's base more than this because they feel that they were wronged," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, "Where that weighs in for 2020 is simple. The presidential candidate whose voters are more energized going into the polls has won the presidency in the last eight elections."
The contents of Trump's weekend tweetstorm were largely dismissed in the media as a "conspiracy" or "distraction bait." The perception was different among Trump supporters who seized on a barrage of developments around what the president has repeatedly denigrated as a "hoax" and "witch hunt."
OBAMAGATE A 'DEFLECT AND REDIRECT MANUEVER'
Polls suggest that Trump is facing an uphill battle in 2020. The majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the coronavirus. The pandemic, response and economic fallout have led to a drop in Trump's approval ratings.
In one nationwide poll, Biden was ahead of Trump by a 9-point margin. Biden also polls ahead in key battleground races and now has the full endorsement of former President Obama, who enjoys a 95% approval rating among Democrats.