Chelsea Manning questions Obama's legacy, Trump calls her a 'traitor'
Trump, responding to ex-U.S. military analyst's Guardian column, tweets she never should have been released
Former U.S. military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning questioned Barack Obama's legacy and called for "an unapologetic progressive leader" to fight for minorities' rights after the former Democratic president commuted her sentence last week.
While not mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump by name, Manning wrote in the British newspaper the Guardian that "after eight years of attempted compromise and relentless disrespect in return, we are moving into darker times," and urged Democrats not to compromise.
In a tweet, Trump called Manning a "traitor" and criticized the decision to release her.
"Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!
—@realDonaldTrumpManning had been sentenced to 35 years in prison after committing the biggest breach of classified information in U.S. history in 2010 by handing over government secrets to anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.
In one of his final actions before leaving office last week, Obama commuted Manning's sentence to about seven years, allowing it to end on May 17.
Republicans, including Trump's spokesman, criticized the commutation as a dangerous precedent for leakers. Obama defended the move, saying Manning had served a tough sentence and that justice had been served.
'Vulnerable legacy'
Manning, formerly known as U.S. army Pte. First Class Bradley Manning, was born male but revealed after being convicted that she identifies as a woman. She has struggled to cope as a transgender woman in a men's military prison and last year twice tried to kill herself.
In her Guardian piece, she did not directly acknowledge Obama's commutation. Instead, Manning said the former president compromised too much and left a "vulnerable legacy" with "very few permanent accomplishments."
She raised concerns about worsening health care, increased criminalization of racial minorities, and "queer and trans people," and urged political progressives to prepare to dig in and push for "change at every level."
"The one simple lesson to draw from President Obama's legacy: Do not start off with a compromise. They won't meet you in the middle. Instead, what we need is an unapologetic progressive leader."