Republican Talking Head Compares Obama HBCU Speech To ‘Political Drive-By Shooting’

Republican pundit and former top Bush administration staffer Karl Rove ranted on Fox News, calling former President Barack Obama’s commencement speech to historically black colleges and university graduates a “political drive-by shooting.”

According to Talking Points Memo, Rove made the comments on Fox and Friends Monday.

“It is so unseemly for a former president to take the virtual commencement ceremony for a series of historically black colleges and universities and turn it into a political drive-by shooting,” Rove said. “This is a moment where these young graduates could be inspired to a life of service, to recognize that life is going to bring challenges and how we handle these challenges is going to demonstrate our character.”

Rove added he thought Obama “slandered” Trump and was “taking a slap” at the officials on the White House COVID-19 Task Force with his comments.

While Obama did not call Trump out by name, the former president did knock the Trump administration’s coronavirus response during the ‘Show Me Your Walk HBCU Edition’ event hosted by JPMorgan Chase.

“This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama told graduates. “A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”

“If the world’s going to get better, it’s going to be up to you. With everything suddenly feeling like it’s up for grabs, this is your time to seize the initiative,” Obama said. “Nobody can tell you anymore that you should be waiting your turn. Nobody can tell you anymore ‘this is how it’s always been done.’ More than ever, this is your moment — your generation’s world to shape.”

Obama also spoke out about how the coronavirus is affecting the African American community more than others.

“We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning,” the former president said.