Obama criticizes pandemic response, saying crisis has 'torn back curtain' on leadership

Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday (May 16) aimed thinly-veiled criticism at the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

"More than anything, this pandemic is fully finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing. A lot of them aren't even pretending to be in charge," Obama said via a pre-taped speech that was aired as part of a virtual commencement ceremony for graduates of historically black universities.

Last week during a private conference call, Obama described President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as "chaotic," according to a source familiar with the call. He endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, his former vice president, in April.

In his message, Obama also referenced the February shooting death of a young black jogger, Ahmaud Arbery, seen by activists as the latest U.S. case of white perpetrators killing a black man and going unpunished. The father-and-son suspects were not arrested until weeks after the shooting, and just days after video of the incident surfaced online.

"A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. 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," said Obama.