When former
President Barack Obama said he was “heartened” by anti-Trump protests, he
was sending a message of approval to his troops. Troops? Yes, Obama has an army
of agitators — numbering more than 30,000 — who will fight his Republican
successor at every turn of his historic presidency. And Obama will command them
from a bunker less than two miles from the White House.
In what’s
shaping up to be a highly unusual post-presidency, Obama isn’t just staying
behind in Washington. He’s working behind the scenes to set up what will
effectively be a shadow government to not only protect his threatened legacy,
but to sabotage the incoming administration and its popular “America First”
agenda.
He’s doing
it through a network of leftist nonprofits led by Organizing for Action.
Normally you’d expect an organization set up to support a politician and his
agenda to close up shop after that candidate leaves office, but not Obama’s
OFA. Rather, it’s gearing up for battle, with a growing war chest and more than
250 offices across the country.
Since
Donald Trump’s election, this little-known but well-funded protesting arm has
beefed up staff and ramped up recruitment of young liberal activists, declaring
on its website, “We’re not backing down.” Determined to salvage Obama’s
legacy,”it’s drawing battle lines on immigration, ObamaCare, race relations and
climate change.
Obama is
intimately involved in OFA operations and even tweets from the group’s account.
In fact, he gave marching orders to OFA foot soldiers following Trump’s upset
victory.
“It is fine
for everybody to feel stressed, sad, discouraged,” he said in a conference call
from the White House. “But get over it.” He demanded they “move forward to
protect what we’ve accomplished.”
“Now is the
time for some organizing,” he said. “So don’t mope.”
Far from
sulking, OFA activists helped organize anti-Trump marches across US cities,
some of which turned into riots. After Trump issued a temporary ban on immigration from seven terror-prone
Muslim nations, the demonstrators jammed airports, chanting: “No ban, no wall,
sanctuary for all!”
Run by old
Obama aides and campaign workers, federal tax records show “nonpartisan” OFA
marshals 32,525 volunteers nationwide. Registered as a 501(c)(4), it doesn’t
have to disclose its donors, but they’ve been generous. OFA has raised more
than $40 million in contributions and grants since evolving from Obama’s
campaign organization Obama for America in 2013.
OFA, in IRS
filings, says it trains young activists to develop “organizing skills.” Armed
with Obama’s 2012 campaign database, OFA plans to get out the vote for
Democratic candidates it’s grooming to win back Congress and erect a wall of
resistance to Trump at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
It will be
aided in that effort by the Obama Foundation, run by Obama’s former political
director, and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, launched last
month by Obama pal Eric Holder to end what he and Obama call GOP
“gerrymandering” of congressional districts.
Obama will
be overseeing it all from a shadow White House located within two miles of
Trump. It features a mansion, which he’s fortifying with construction of a tall
brick perimeter, and a nearby taxpayer-funded office with his own chief of
staff and press secretary. Michelle Obama will also open an office there, along
with the Obama Foundation.
The 55-year-old Obama is not content to go quietly into the
night like other ex-presidents
Critical to
the fight is rebuilding the ravaged Democrat Party. Obama hopes to install his
former civil-rights chief Tom Perez at the helm of the Democratic National
Committee.
Perez is
running for the vacant DNC chairmanship, vowing “It’s time to organize and
fight . . . We must stand up to protect President Obama’s accomplishments;”
while also promising, “We’re going to build the strongest grass-roots
organizing force this country has ever seen.”
The
55-year-old Obama is not content to go quietly into the night like other
ex-presidents.
“You’re
going to see me early next year,” he said after the election, “and we’re going
to be in a position where we can start cooking up all kinds of great stuff.”
Added the
ex-president: “Point is, I’m still fired up and ready to go.”
Paul
Sperry is the author of “The Great American Bank Robbery,” which
details the link between race-based housing policies and the mortgage crisis.