Though the political climate is more polarized than ever, the president said he is not responsible for the Republican party’s ‘crack-up’ and Trump’s insurgency

Barack Obama poured scorn on the notion that he was responsible for the rise of Donald Trump and the “crack-up” of the Republican party on Thursday, insisting that its wound was self-inflicted.

“I have been blamed by Republicans for a lot of things, but being blamed for their primaries and who they’re selecting for their party is novel,” he said with a laugh during a joint news conference at the White House with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.



Some political commentators and Republicans have floated the theory that Obama created a uniquely polarized climate that the outsider Trump was able to exploit. Columnist Ross Douthat wrote in the New York Times last month: “It isn’t an accident that this is the way the Obama era ends – with a reality TV demagogue leading a populist, nationalist revolution.”

On Thursday the president made reference to his last state of the union address in which he acknowledged that partisanship had accelerated rather than waned over the past seven years. “I do all kinds of soul-searching in terms of: are there things I can do better to make sure that we’re unifying the country?” he said.

“But I also have to say that, objectively, it’s fair to say that the Republican political elites and many of the information outlets – social media, news outlets, talk radio, television stations – have been feeding the Republican base for the last seven years a notion that everything I do is to be opposed; that cooperation or compromise somehow is a betrayal; that maximalist, absolutist positions on issues are politically advantageous; that there is a ‘them’ out there and an ‘us,’ and ‘them’ are the folks who are causing whatever problems you’re experiencing.”

Obama recalled the so-called “birther movement”, which pushed wild conspiracy theories over his birthplace and in which Trump was a prominent figure, earning the president’s mockery during the White House correspondents’ dinner in 2011.

“I don’t think that I was the one to prompt questions about my birth certificate, for example,” he said. “I don’t remember saying: ‘Hey, why don’t you ask me about that?’ Or ‘Why don’t you question whether I’m American, or whether I’m loyal, or whether I have America’s best interests at heart?’ Those aren’t things that were prompted by any actions of mine.

“And so what you’re seeing within the Republican party is, to some degree, all those efforts over a course of time creating an environment where somebody like a Donald Trump can thrive. He’s just doing more of what has been done for the last seven and a half years.”

Obama went on to echo analysts who argue that Trump, despite his outlandish statements and lack of politician’s polish, is not an anomaly on policy when compared with his rivals for the Republican nomination. “It’s not as if there’s a massive difference between Mr Trump’s position on immigration and Mr [Ted] Cruz’s position on immigration. Mr Trump might just be more provocative in terms of how he says it, but the actual positions aren’t that different.”

The billionaire businessman’s surprise insurgency at the expense of establishment figures such as former Florida governor Jeb Bush has raised fears that the Republican party could tear itself apart. Media commentaries abound with phrases such as “civil war” and “existential crisis”. Crucial primaries will be held in Florida and Ohio on Tuesday.

Pledging to continue to bridge divides across America, Obama added: “What I’m not going to do is validate some notion that the Republican crack-up that’s been taking place is a consequence of actions that I’ve taken.

“There are thoughtful conservatives who are troubled by this, who are troubled by the direction of their party. I think it is very important for them to reflect on what it is about the politics they’ve engaged in that allows the circus we’ve been seeing to transpire, and to do some introspection.”

Asked what impact a Trump victory might have on US-Canada relations, Trudeau swerved past the question. “I have tremendous confidence in the American people and look forward to working with whomever they choose to send to this White House later this year,” he said.