These Tweets From Trump Vs. Obama On The Same Topics Say So Much About Them
In case it wasn't obvious by now, Donald Trump and Barack Obama are two very different presidents. These two men differ in opinions on so many topics, and it's never more apparent than in their respective social media postings. Just check out these tweets from Trump vs. Obama on the same topics, and decide who you agree with.
We all know that Donald Trump loves sharing his opinions on Twitter, unfortunately. Barack Obama, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily spend his free time typing away on his keyboard. However, when an important event or topic comes into conversation, these two men always take to social media to either express their opinions and thoughts on the matter. I must admit, if you blindfolded me and read tweets from each of them aloud, I'm pretty confident I'd be able to tell who wrote each tweet.
Needless to say, Trump is quite an expressive tweeter, and he isn't showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, in February 2016 — in the midst of the primaries — Amanda Hess wrote a piece for Slate claiming that Donald Trump is actually the best at Twitter because he's able to be loud and get many points across.
Hess pointed to several of his tweets, including from August 2012, when Trump said: "It's Friday. How many bald eagles did wind turbines kill today? They are an environmental & aesthetic disaster."
Consider "aesthetic disaster" my Twitter bio from here on out.
The year 2012 was clearly a much more simple time for the current president, but Trump still liked to opine on many topics. I've compiled a list of three main topics that both Obama and Trump have discussed on Twitter, and honestly the differences are astounding.
Addressing Gun Control
The topic of gun control is more pressing than ever right now. Gun control advocates, students, and teachers are tired of "thoughts and prayers" after tragic public shootings and are now calling for action.
In the past — especially during the election — Trump hasn't been shy about sharing his anti-gun control opinions on Twitter.
This is quite a contrast from Obama, who actively pushed for stricter gun laws throughout his presidency.
The tragic Feb. 14 school shooting of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which a gunman killed 17 people, left the public urging President Trump to take action for stricter gun laws. Despite his past stances on the issue, Trump threw us all for a loop when he shared his support for increased background checks via Twitter.
However, he completely went back to square one when he also revealed he wants to arm teachers with firearms in order to prevent school shootings. C'mon, Trump.
Supporting Dreamers
Since Trump unveiled his plan to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in September 2017, the immigration policy that protects illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, many people have been speaking out about the decision. The policy was introduced by President Barack Obama in 2012, and has since protected over 800,000 "Dreamers" by giving them work permits and preventing deportation.
Clearly, these two men have different opinions on the subject, but their manner of addressing the issue makes it even more clear. Once news surfaced of Trump's plan to end DACA, Obama took to social media to express his disappointment at the decision.
Attempts to hammer out bipartisan deals on immigration have been taken by Congress, but Trump's insistence of ending DACA is still strong. Just check out his tweet from April 1 and see for yourself.
Despite Trump's fight to end DACA, on April 25 it was announced that the program will restart thanks to a federal judge's ruling.
Fighting For Women's Rights
The fight to protect women's rights is a battle that's been going on for ages. From equal pay to reproductive health, there are a number of changes that need to be made in order to ensure women are treated fairly within society.
Throughout his presidency, President Obama protected reproductive health through the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and supported women's access to health care. In June 2016, Obama celebrated the Supreme Court's ruling on Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, which was a victory for abortion providers.
Obama also discussed the importance of equal wages for women and expressed his support on the issue.
Well, the fight for women's rights has certainly taken a turn since Donald Trump took office.
In July 2017, the Senate voted to open the discussion to repeal Obamacare, which would hurt women's access to health care, although Congress ultimately failed to undo Obamacare. The Trump administration also made moves to restrict women's access to birth control and abortion, and Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch, a conservative, to the Supreme Court.
Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump's daughter Ivanka claimed that equal pay for women would be one of Donald Trump's main platforms. However, not much change has been done since he took office.
Even though Trump has held his tongue on social media about these issues, his past tweets don't look like he's necessarily championing for women's rights, from commenting on women's appearances...
... to sharing his opinion on women and sexual assault in the military.
Of course, these tweets are from 2013, so a lot could have changed over the past five years, although since becoming president, Trump attempted to keep transgender people from the military and has made a handful of notable comments — in person and on Twitter — about women's appearances. It's a palpable difference from Obama's public comments.
So there you have it, folks. Even though these tweets may be under 280 characters, they say so much more.
