Former First Lady Michelle Obama reportedly appeared to criticize President Donald Trump for accepting extravagant gifts, without explicitly mentioning his name.
Michelle Obama Calls For Boundaries
Obama, while speaking at the Sixth and I Synagogue and Arts Center in Washington to promote her new book, The Look, suggested that the president should set a standard for the American people when it comes to accepting gifts, reported The Hill.
She said that when one is the “commander in chief,” there is “a standard” that must be set for the American people. She added that some expectations "aren't even laws — they're just norms," explaining that such standards exist because leaders should not make citizens feel like wealthy people have a “different level of access and access to power."
The former First Lady said that maintaining balance in life often requires setting boundaries, and added that one has to “say ‘no' a lot."
Michelle Obama recalled that after an interview early in former President Barack Obama's political career, Oprah Winfrey sent her an extravagant gift box. However, Barack Obama immediately told her they couldn't keep it, reminding her that public officials must not accept such gifts
Gifts To Trump Have Drawn Flak
The acceptance of lavish gifts by public officials has been a subject of controversy and has often invited criticism. Trump’s acceptance of the Boeing jet sparked criticism from former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and economist Peter Schiff, who labeled it as “banana-republic-level corruption.”
Even Republican Nikki Haley and Trump Ally, billionaire investor Bill Ackman, had commented that the acceptance of such a gift was not a good practice. However, Trump later snapped back at the criticisms, saying it was a gift to the Department of War and not to him.
In October, South Korea gave Trump a lavish, gold-adorned welcome, bestowing upon him the nation's highest honor and a replica of a royal crown from the Silla dynasty.
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