Obama Encourages Protests Against Trump’s Immigration Order

President Barack Obama waves as he leaves the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, before the start of presidential inaugural festivities for the incoming 45th President of the United ... President Barack Obama waves as he leaves the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, before the start of presidential inaugural festivities for the incoming 45th President of the United States Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) MORE LESS
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A spokesman for Barack Obama said in a statement Monday that the former President was “heartened” by citizens protesting President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.

Kevin Lewis wrote that Obama was “heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country,” according to several reporters who posted the statement online.

“In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizens and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy—not just during an election but every day,” the statement read.

“Citizens exercising their Constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake,” it continued.

In an indirect reference to Trump’s immigration executive order, which temporarily bars visitors from seven majority-Muslim countries, Obama said he “fundamentally disagrees” with discrimination based on religion.

“With regard to comparisons to President Obama’s foreign policy decisions, as we’ve heard before, the President fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion,” the statement says.

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