Former President Barack Obama, visiting India’s capital for the third time, spoke at a leadership conference about a range of topics from social media to climate change but avoided making references to President Donald Trump.
According to the Washington Post, Obama spoke particularly about the importance of using Twitter responsibly and being mindful of the kind of messages to share on the platform.
“In a discussion period at a leadership forum, the former president was asked about his wife Michelle’s comments this week during a speech in Toronto, when she said it was not a good idea to ‘tweet from bed,’ an obvious commentary on Trump’s morning Twitter habit,” reports the Washington Post.
Throughout this leadership forum, Obama made a “few pointed jibes” without actually naming President Trump.
“The single most important thing I want to focus on is lifting up, identifying, working with, and training the next generation of leadership. Not just in the United States, but all around the world.” —@BarackObama to young people in India today: https://t.co/DIQqHTgyFg pic.twitter.com/3uverHaANj
— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) December 1, 2017
A Fox News report included how the former commander in chief asserted the influence social media can have.
“He said social media is a powerful tool, for both good and ill.” ‘And look, I’ve got 100 million Twitter follower. I actually have more than other people who use it more often.'”
India should nurture its Muslim population: Barack Obama https://t.co/CzhNTxCRMl pic.twitter.com/QcOlXOpaKk
— Times of India (@timesofindia) December 1, 2017
Obama recognized India’s efforts in supporting the Paris climate agreement. The accord was signed last year and Trump planned to withdraw from it.
Leadership was also a topic of conversation during the forum. Denver Post reported that Obama said politicians usually reflect public opinion.
“And so if you see a politician doing things that are questionable, one of the things as a citizen is to ask yourself ‘Am I encouraging, or supporting or giving license to the values I’m hearing out of the politician?'”
Obama reflected deeply on the current state of affairs. He gave a positive outlook in spite of the current trends happening at home and abroad. He said America and the world were heading in the right direction with regard to inclusion, education, equality, and kindness. Finally, he stated that now is the best moment to be born.