Will Obama Flee the Country if Trump Wins? His Press Secretary Isn’t Saying

Speaking on Air Force One to a group of reporters, White House press secretary Josh Earnest had a fascinating exchange. In the midst of discussions about Obama campaigning for Clinton, and standing in direct opposition to Trump, he was asked whether the commander in chief would leave the country in the case of a Trump presidency.

He’s working very hard to make sure that nobody has to leave the country as a result of an electoral outcome that the president doesn’t support,” Earnest said.

Hmmm…that’s a pretty telling non-answer, isn’t it? You’d expect a chuckle, then a “no,” but not only would Earnest not confirm that Obama would remain in America, but he also raised the specter of other citizens leaving en masse. Not much reassurance there. You get the sense—and, to be fair, this may be a calculated move—that there is deep concern in the inner circles of power about exactly how America would look under Trump. Whether they meant it or not, there’s an implication of danger here—a subtextual confirmation that yes, Obama and many others may indeed be smart to flee.