Barack Quote by Chris Matthews
![“A couple of Donald Trump people, including his vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, and of course, Dr. Ben Carson, have both come out in the last days, hours, practically, and said they believe President [Barack] Obama is a legitimately elected president of the…” quote by Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/554/chris-matthews-1682_barack_a-couple-of-donald-trump-people-includin_2513262.jpg)
“A couple of Donald Trump people, including his vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, and of course, Dr. Ben Carson, have both come out in the last days, hours, practically, and said they believe President [Barack] Obama is a legitimately elected president of the United States.”
About This Quote
Source Television: Hardball with Chris Matthews, 2016 episode
Some Republican figures publicly affirm President Obama’s legitimacy despite partisan tensions.
In simple terms: Republicans sometimes acknowledge elected leaders.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bipartisan respect.
Themes
politics
legitimacy
partisanship
Mood
analytical
neutral
Type
political
observational
When to use this quote
- elections
- government
- media coverage
Key Concepts
democratic norms
public statements
Questions to Reflect On
- Why might they publicly affirm legitimacy?
- How does this affect public trust?
A Different Perspective
Political statements can be strategic rather than sincere.
![“I confirm that and Donald Trump now confirms that President Barack Obama is a legitimately elected president of the United States].” quote by Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7e6/rudy-giuliani-958_barack_i-confirm-that-and-donald-trump-now-conf_2720168.jpg)
![“Instead of talking about the fact that Hillary Clinton violated about 40 federal laws we are talking about this [that this president's Barack Obama is legitimately elected president of the United States and you say your candidate agrees with you]. It is ridiculous.” quote by Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eeb/rudy-giuliani-958_agree_instead-of-talking-about-the-fact-that-h_1137440.jpg)
![“We're not questioning the legitimacy of the outcome of the election. You didn't have Republicans questioning whether or not [Barack] Obama legitimately beat John McCain in 2008.” quote by John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d1a/john-lewis-1310_barack_we-re-not-questioning-the-legitimacy-of_2484781.jpg)
![“In fact, Donald [Trump] was one of the people who rooted for the housing crisis.” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e04/hillary-clinton-51_crisis_in-fact-donald-trump-was-one-of-the-peop_470077.jpg)
![“I think that the candidates who are doing it [not debating] are doing a great disservice to the party. It's a sign of an unhealthy institution.” quote by Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/54b/chris-matthews-1682_candidates_i-think-that-the-candidates-who-are-doin_34506.jpg)
![“I don't sense an [Barack] Obama party. I think politics is transactional for him.” quote by Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a21/chris-matthews-1682_barack_i-don-t-sense-an-barack-obama-party-i-th_84737.jpg)
![“I'm closer to anybody who believes that we should lead not from behind, but from the front. Rand Paul is one step behind, leading from behind. So, yes, even [Barack] Obama is more aggressive. Obama believes you can kill Anwar al-Awlaki without getting a court order.” quote by Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0fe/chris-matthews-1682_aggressive_i-m-closer-to-anybody-who-believes-that_135609.jpg)
![“I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect [Donald Trump], or then-president [Barack Obama]. But it's - I'm very clear. I voted for the change that put the Army Field Manual in place as a member of Congress. I understand that law very, very quickly and am also deeply aware…” quote by James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/761/james-mattis-9515_army_i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-th_3990.jpg)
![“The president [Barack Obama] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years. And we announced during the tour last week that we have gotten more than 60,000 jobs, and we're well on our way to just crashing that goal out of the…” quote by Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/83d/michelle-obama-518_barack_the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-c_15651.jpg)
![“I think the president's [Barack Obama] position has been very clear on Syria. He wants more aggressive, he's put the Special Ops on the ground, in fact one of the Republican criticisms is he's got thousands of Americans there. We just don't call them troops on the ground, we don't admit to it. But…” quote by Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9c/juan-williams-7909_aggressive_i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-pos_17086.jpg)
![“It cannot be an American fight. And I think what the president [Barack Obama] has consistently said - which I agree with - is that we will support those who take the fight to ISIS. That is why we have troops in Iraq that are helping to train and build back up the Iraqi military, why we have…” quote by Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f1e/hillary-clinton-51_agree_it-cannot-be-an-american-fight-and-i-thi_19737.jpg)
![“It wasn't [Barack] Obama per se; it was the feeling on the ground; it was seeing an old black woman in a wheelchair being wheeled by her son waving a big American flag, and then seeing a guy with his baby in his arms saying, "I didn't want her to miss tonight! I wanted to be able to tell her!" And…” quote by Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/806/bill-ayers-1848_able_it-wasn-t-barack-obama-per-se-it-was-the_20409.jpg)
