Former President Obama took more veiled shots at his successor Monday night, suggesting that the reason the U.S. is not taking more direct action against climate change is because of “hate, anger, racism — mommy issues.”

Obama appeared at the Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago, where author Dave Eggers interviewed him about ways to mobilize Americans toward creating social change.

When the topic of global warming came up, Obama’s criticism was particularly pointed.

“The reason we don't” invest in climate change policies, Obama said, “is because we are still confused, blind, shrouded with hate, anger, racism — mommy issues.”

The comments drew laughter from the audience.

“I mean, we — we are we are fraught with stuff,” he continued, “And — and so if that’s the case then the single most important thing that we have to invest in is not all — and look I’m a huge supporter of science and technological research and social science and, you know, evidence-based learning and all that good stuff. I’m — I’m — people call me Spock for a reason, I believe in reason and logic and all these enlightenment values, but the thing that really we have to invest in is people. We got to get people to figure out how they work together — in a — you know, how do we get people to work together in a cooperative, thoughtful, constructive way.The erstwhile commander-in-chief did not explain what meant by “mommy issues,” or how these related to countering climate change.”

“I was having a conversation with a friend, who was depressed about the current course of our country — it’s a conversation that happens a lot,” Obama said later [Video]. “I had to remind him that this is what happens. Societies are these incredibly complex, organic things that sometimes moves forward and sometimes takes a step back.”

“This is a heavy burden,” he said [Video]. “But what a joyous burden to have this grand adventure where you can literally remake the world right now because it badly needs remaking. If you could blindly choose when you wanted to be born, you’d choose now … Or — maybe two years ago.”

Before the election, Obama attacked Trump for “immigrant children … in pens.” He’s also mocked the Trump Administration over Robert Mueller’s indictments, boasting “nobody in my administration got indicted.” And in another campaign rally, he suggested Trump is “fanning” “forces of anger.”



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