Obama Has Been Fairly Quiet on Trump. Not on Friday

Former President Barack Obama criticized President Trump's tenure in office Friday in fiery speeches in Milwaukee and Detroit that took aim at him and other Republicans for "making stuff up." The speeches, made during visits meant to urge people to vote for Democratic candidates in Michigan and Wisconsin, were among Obama's sharpest and most direct takedowns of Trump's presidency, though the former president was careful to not mention Trump by name, the AP notes. He said the "character of our country is on the ballot" in the first midterm election since Trump took office. Obama cited a recent Trump comment that he'd pass a tax cut before the November election. Obama then told the crowds that "Congress isn't even in session before the election! He just makes it up!" A further jab in Wisconsin, per CNN: "No one in my administration got indicted."

Per the Hill, Obama also lit into Republicans who'd long blasted Hillary Clinton for her email server controversy. "They didn't care about emails," Obama said. "If they did, they'd be up in arms right now as the Chinese are listening to the president's iPhone that he leaves in his golf cart. ... I guess it wasn't that important." Obama added GOPers are lying when they say they want to protect people with pre-existing conditions while trying to repeal the ACA. "What we have not seen before in our public life is politicians just blatantly, repeatedly, baldly, shamelessly, lying. Just making stuff up," Obama said. Still, the ex-president said he's trying to be positive. "I'm hopeful that despite all the noise, despite all the lies, we're going to come through all that," he said in Detroit. "We're going to remember who we are, who we're called to be. ... Out of this political darkness, I'm seeing a great awakening." (Obama was a target of one of this week's package bombs.)