President Obama and his family have left the island paradise of Cuba, but the president is keeping spring break rolling with a stop in Buenos Aires, where he held a town hall meeting with “young people.”
Pres Obama begins Town Hall with young people in Buenos Aires. pic.twitter.com/aTFJcpWzDF
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 23, 2016
The president continued his habit of endearing himself to foreign audiences by running down his own country, as when he told Raúl Castro at a joint press conference that he looked forward to hearing constructive criticism from the Castro regime on the United States’ own shortcomings on race relations, poverty, and human rights. In Buenos Aires, he lightened up a bit on Americans, complaining mostly about their ignorance of the world and their poor command of foreign languages.
In Buenos Aires, Obama says he'd like Americans to have greater awareness of world outside our borders. Notes poor foreign language ability.
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) March 23, 2016
@DavidNakamura His or Americans in general? Both?
— bs dtectr (@bsdtectr) March 23, 2016
Maybe the president could have had a word about foreign languages with his education secretary, who was apparently too occupied with offensive school mascots, same-sex marriage, and the irrational pushback against Common Core by “white suburban moms” who were shocked to learn “their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were.”
@DavidNakamura is there anything @POTUS doesn't hate about America ? Did he have fun with dictators while Europe burned ?
— Evan (@ndafed1776) March 23, 2016
Yes, this complaint came from the same president who embarrassed the United States when he told a foreign TV reporter that he didn’t know how to phrase “wheeling and dealing” in Austrian.
The press had anxiously played up — perhaps a tad too much — the role first daughter Malia Obama had played as her father’s translator in Cuba.
Malia Obama. First daughter. Translator. Cooler than you. https://t.co/C9DFjo6yYi pic.twitter.com/Wqa8DNHg6N
— The Cut (@TheCut) March 23, 2016
Malia Obama might as well have served as translator at the youth town hall, considering the bias involved. CBS News’ Mark Knoller noted that in Buenos Aires, attendees’ questions went through the spin cycle before they reached the president — if Obama didn’t have such poor foreign language skills, he might have noticed.
Trump lost in translation at Obama Town Hall in Buenos Aires in question posed by young man speaking Spanish. pic.twitter.com/7jeP83LHNx
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 23, 2016
We’re pretty sure “Donald Trump” in Spanish is “Donald Trump,” not to mention that “I’d like to know what you think” does not translate as “We’re a little concerned.”
Translator left out the “Donald Trump” aspect of the question at Obama town hall.
— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) March 23, 2016
Interesting moment at President's youth town hall in Argentina. Guy asks about Trump in Spanish. Translator just says "Republicans"
— Maya Rhodan (@m_rhodan) March 23, 2016
.@POTUS Spanish translator in Argentina just turned a town hall ? abt @realDonaldTrump into a ? Abt all Republicans –disservice
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) March 23, 2016
Disservice? Now that’s a word that very handily defines the president’s entire spring break.
