President Obama Tells Syrian Refugee ‘You’re Part of What Makes America Great’
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iStock Editorial/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — President Obama still isn’t directly engaging Donald Trump’s recent proposal to bar Muslims from entering the U.S., but a Facebook comment posted from his official account overnight could be the closest he has come so far.
The post was at the end of a “Humans of New York” thread about a Syrian refugee currently in Istanbul, Turkey. According to quotes attributed to the unnamed man on the HONY page, he is an inventor, and said “I learned today that I’m going to Troy, Michigan.”
“I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world,” the man is quoted as saying. “I have several inventions that I’m hoping to patent once I get to America. I just hope that it’s safe and that it’s a place where they respect science. I just want to get back to work. I want to be a person again. I don’t want the world to think I’m over. I’m still here.”
A White House official confirmed to ABC News that President Obama himself responded Wednesday evening, assuring the man that he would be welcomed “with the compassion and support you deserve.”
“As a husband and a father, I cannot even begin to imagine the loss you’ve endured,” Obama said. “You and your family are an inspiration.”
And in almost a direct rebuke to Trump’s campaign slogan, President Obama closed his comment by saying, “You’re part of what makes America great.”
It’s not the first time President Obama has taken to social media to cull support for a policy. Back in September, he commented on a photo of a young Iranian boy aspiring to be a humanitarian in the wake of Iranian nuclear agreement.
The White House didn’t comment on whether President Obama’s comment was motivated by Trump’s recent proposal.
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