Norman Solomon

“Then he leaves the White House and jets off to an island owned by a billionaire [the Obamas spent a post-presidency vacation on private islands owned by the British billionaire Sir Richard Branson in 2017]. That is not solidarity.”

Norman Solomon · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Solomon criticized Obama for vacationing on a billionaire's island after leaving office, saying it showed no solidarity.

“Almost anybody is going to look great compared to Trump. In Michigan, where there’s been resentment between African American and Arab American communities, it’s helpful for Obama to present a wiser outlook on what’s at stake.”

Norman Solomon · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Solomon acknowledged Obama's tactical value in the 2026 crisis, particularly in Michigan's divided communities.

“It’s like a great oil painting. If you walk up to it and look real close, it’s not going to look so great. If you look too close at Obama’s record – the collapse on peacemaking in Palestine, tripling troops in Afghanistan, presiding over the greatest upward transfer of wealth in anybody’s lifetime – it does not look so great.”

Norman Solomon · said date not stated · reported 2026-11-01

Solomon compared Obama's record to a painting that looks worse the closer you examine it.