The news is alive with reaction to President Trump’s press conference Monday in Helsinki with Vladimir Putin. 

Among the opinionated chimes ringing toward Trump at the moment come comments by Barack Obama in South Africa. 

Barry made several statements that, while not addressing the President’s behavior at the Russia summit, surely seemed to be cutting references to Trump.

Giving the 2018 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, the Democratic party’s favorite former leader decried an unnamed weirdo destroying normalcy:

“Strongman politics are ascending suddenly, whereby elections, some pretense of democracy, are maintained…but those in power seek to undermine every institution or norm that gives democracy meaning.”

He said that, in these “strange and uncertain” times, “each day’s news cycle is bringing more head-spinning and disturbing headlines.”

Speaking on Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, Barack noted his own inability to “find common ground” with climate change deniers, “when almost all the world’s scientists say [it’s real].”

In other words, Donald is a dummy.

It was doubtless Obama was targeting Trump when he claimed there are leaders who “completely make stuff up.” 

And there was this:

“Unfortunately, too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth. People just make stuff up…we see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they’re caught in a lie and they just double down.”

Former Pres. Obama: "Unfortunately, too much of politics today seems to reject the very concept of objective truth. People just make stuff up…we see the utter loss of shame among political leaders where they're caught in a lie and they just double down" https://t.co/s4drXPlcRD pic.twitter.com/rn5o4xt9rM

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) July 17, 2018

I suppose perspective is everything. I see that last quote and immediately think of the media — I mean, there’s this, this, and this, just for a few examples.

I suppose Obama’s comments could’ve been far worse — on Friday, ever-bitter Hillary Clinton, by contrast, made this strikingly idiotic claim.

Still, is this really what we need? A former president going to another country and making negative, sometimes-veiled references to America’s sitting president? We didn’t need Trump condescending toward the nation’s intelligence apparatus in Helsinki (as covered here and here), and we don’t need this.

What do you think of Obama’s rhetoric? Sound off in the Comments section below.

For coverage leading up to the Helsinki conference, go here, here, here, and here.

For something totally difference, check out my articles on the reopening of the restaurant that booted Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Rand Paul’s would-be ax murderer, and Millennials’ embrace of socialism (which they probably can’t define).

Find all my RedState work here.

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