Under the headline, “We are African Americans, we are patriots, and we refuse to sit idly by,” the former Obama administration officials vowed to stand up against the “racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia . . . wielded by the president and any elected official complicit in the poisoning of our democracy.”

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“There is truly nothing more un-American than calling on fellow citizens to leave our country — by citing their immigrant roots, or ancestry, or their unwillingness to sit in quiet obedience while democracy is being undermined,” they wrote.

After Trump tweeted that four minority lawmakers should “go back” to the places they were from and a crowd of Trump supporters chanted “Send her back!” at the mention of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), a Somali refu­gee who became a U.S. citizen in 2000, at a campaign rally, most Democrats became indignant.

Even Michelle Obama, who also shies away from Trump-era outrage, made her disdain for Trump’s comments known.

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“What truly makes our country great is its diversity,” the former first lady tweeted, an apparent reference to Trump’s campaign slogan. “I’ve seen that beauty in so many ways over the years. Whether we are born here or seek refuge here, there’s a place for us all. We must remember it’s not my America or your America. It’s our America.”

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The former president retweeted his wife, but that was the closest he came to weighing in on the issue of Trump’s racist remarks until he shared the op-ed.

Since leaving office, Obama has been extremely selective about when he weighs in on politics. By tradition, former presidents generally refrain from criticizing their successors, even if they are from opposite political parties.

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However, some Obama supporters have expressed dismay as he seemed to disappear from public view as the Trump White House set out to systematically dismantle his legacy. Obama reappeared for the final weeks of the 2018 midterms, crisscrossing the country to campaign for Democrats and warning that “the character of our country is on the ballot.”

Now, as two dozen Democrats vie for the chance to take on Trump in 2020, Obama has once again faded into the background to allow that process to play itself out without his influence.