--- title: Barack Obama: Swamp of Crazy Speech Transcript description: President Obama tied Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to the Republican Party, arguing that they have a "swamp of crazy." canonical: https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-14T14:13:40.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T06:50:44.938Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read President Obama's 'Swamp of Crazy' Speech About GOP og:description: "This is in the swamp of crazy that has been fed over and over." og:url: https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51b18a9fe6b6fb14/6988aa09e20a8710f0a92c95/gettyimages-614385926-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: US President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an event for the Ohio Democratic Party and Governor Ted Strickland in Columbus, Ohio, October 13, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read President Obama's 'Swamp of Crazy' Speech About GOP twitter:description: "This is in the swamp of crazy that has been fed over and over." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51b18a9fe6b6fb14/6988aa09e20a8710f0a92c95/gettyimages-614385926-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:03 video:published: 2016-10-14 section: politics topics: presidential election, Republican nominee, Republican leaders, Trump disavowal, candidate qualifications, lies and hoaxes, Senate election, partisanship genre: political speech, campaign commentary tones: critical, disappointed, combative, resolute emotions: anger (medium), disappointment (medium), contempt (medium) sentiment: negative audience: voters, political observers, Democratic supporters, news readers people: Barack Obama, Donald Trump organizations: Republican Party, United States Senate content_suitability: politics [00:00-02:03]; hate [01:01-01:32] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Read President Obama's 'Swamp of Crazy' Speech About Republicans > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=e855033c-4be9-41ea-bc00-651ba20b8760&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Obama Blasts Republicans [Watch (HLS stream): President Obama Blasts Republicans](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/I7xAclKW.m3u8) (2:03)  _Published 2016-10-14. The president also criticized the recent spate of Republican leaders who have disavowed Trump_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary President Obama contrasts the qualifications of the Democratic nominee with the conduct of the Republican nominee, calling the Republican candidate unfit and unqualified. He argues that Republican leaders who previously supported the nominee are now disavowing him only after a recorded remark surfaced. He closes by saying he is disappointed, while stating he is a Democrat but an American first. ## Key points - Obama says the Democratic nominee is as qualified as anyone has been to run for the office. (00:00) - Obama says the Republican nominee proves himself unfit and unqualified every time he talks. (00:23) - Obama says the Republican nominee's agenda is based on lies and hoaxes. (00:38) - Obama says Republican leaders have been riding the tiger for a long time by feeding their base crazy ideas for years. (00:50) - Obama says many Republicans who ran did not speak out earlier and therefore do not get credit. (00:58) - Obama says Republicans disavowed the nominee only after he was caught on tape making remarks no decent person would say. (01:01) - Obama says Republicans who now say enough is enough do not deserve to be elected to the United States Senate. (01:32) - Obama says he finds the situation disappointing. (01:47) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:38] Contrasting the two presidential candidates. Obama describes the Democratic nominee's qualifications and portrays the Republican nominee as unfit. - [00:38 to 01:01] Criticizing the Republican nominee's record. Obama says the Republican nominee relies on lies and hoaxes and that Republican leaders fed their base for years. - [01:01 to 01:47] Republicans disavow the nominee late. Obama argues Republican leaders only disavowed the nominee after a recorded remark surfaced, and criticizes their claim to leadership. - [01:47 to 02:03] Personal closing remarks. Obama states his disappointment and identifies himself as a Democrat and an American first. ## Key quotes - [00:00] Barack Obama: "It's a choice between somebody who is as qualified as has ever been." - [00:23] Barack Obama: "Somebody who each and everyday, every times he talks proves himself unfit and unqualified for the the service." - [00:42] Barack Obama: "Based on lies, based on hoaxes, this is the nominee you get." - [00:50] Barack Obama: "They've been riding this tiger for a long time." - [01:47] Barack Obama: "Its disappointing, it really is" - [01:58] Barack Obama: "because yes I am a democrat but I am an American first" ## Questions this video answers - How does Obama describe the Democratic nominee's qualifications? [00:00] - How does Obama characterize the Republican nominee? [00:23] - Why does Obama say Republican leaders deserve no credit for disavowing the nominee? [01:01] - What does Obama say about Republican leaders seeking election to the Senate? [01:32] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-02:03]: Partisan political criticism of the presidential nominee and Republican leaders throughout. - hate [01:01-01:32]: References to a recording of the nominee making remarks described as indecent, without repeating them. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Oct 14, 2016 2:13 PM UTC The president also criticized the recent spate of Republican leaders who have disavowed Trump by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Oct 14, 2016 2:13 PM UTC President Obama tied Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to the Republican Party, arguing that they have long fed voters a “swamp of crazy” at a campaign event in Columbus, Ohio. “This is in the swamp of crazy that has been fed over and over and over and over again,” he said. “Look, I—and there’s sort of a spectrum, right—it’s a whole kind of ecosystem. And look, if I watched Fox News I wouldn’t vote for me.” Read a complete transcript below. --- > “” --- ## Transcript [00:00] It's a choice between somebody who is as qualified as [00:04] has ever been. [ BLANK_AUDIO ] To run for [00:08] this office. Somebody who's over and over proven that [00:14] they know how to lead and know how to work and [00:19] Understand the issues that working families are facing. [00:23] That's on the one hand and then on the other hand you [00:25] got somebody who each and everyday, every times he [00:29] talks proves himself unfit and unqualified [00:34] for the the service. If your only agendas are the [00:38] negatives, negatives [ UNKNOWN ], crazy. [ LAUGH ] [00:42] Based on lies, based on hoaxes, this is [00:46] the nominee you get. The problem is, is that they've [00:50] been riding this tiger for a long time. They've been [00:53] feeding their base all kinds of crazy for years. [00:58] They know better. A lot of these folks who ran and [01:01] they didn't say anything. And so they don't get credit, [01:04] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [01:07] For, at the very last minute, when [01:13] finally the guy that they nominated and they endorsed [01:15] and they supported, is caught on tape Saying [01:20] things that no [01:24] decent person would even think much [01:28] less say, much less brag about, much less laugh about, [01:32] or joke about, much less act on, yet can't wait [01:36] until that finally happens. And then say that's too [01:37] much. That's enough. And think that some how [01:43] you are showing any kind of leadership and deserve [01:47] to be elected to the United States Senate. Its [01:52] disappointing, it really is [01:58] because yes I am a democrat but I am an American [02:01] first ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/"},"headline":"Read President Obama's 'Swamp of Crazy' Speech About Republicans","datePublished":"2016-10-14T14:13:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T06:50:44.938Z","description":"'This is in the swamp of crazy that has been fed over and over'","url":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/","keywords":["transcripts","Hillary Clinton","2016 Election","Barack Obama","Ohio"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51b18a9fe6b6fb14/6988aa09e20a8710f0a92c95/gettyimages-614385926-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Ryan Teague Beckwith","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt51b18a9fe6b6fb14/6988aa09e20a8710f0a92c95/gettyimages-614385926-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an event for the Ohio Democratic Party and Governor Ted Strickland in Columbus, Ohio, October 13, 2016.","caption":"US President Barack Obama delivers remarks at an event for the Ohio Democratic Party and Governor Ted Strickland in Columbus, Ohio, October 13, 2016.","creditText":"JIM WATSON—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/transcripts/","name":"transcripts"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/","name":"Read President Obama's 'Swamp of Crazy' Speech About Republicans"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"President Obama Blasts Republicans","description":"The president also criticized the recent spate of Republican leaders who have disavowed Trump","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/I7xAclKW/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-10-14T14:20:25.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/I7xAclKW.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/","duration":"PT2M3S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4531245/barack-obama-swamp-crazy-speech-transcript/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```