Supercut: Obama Uses Elijah Cummings Funeral to Talk Obsessively About Himself

President Obama returned to the spotlight Friday while delivering a eulogy for the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). 

The former commander-in-chief wasted no time returning to his favorite rhetoric subject: himself.

Over the course of his brief 15 remarks, Obama referenced himself 30 times, averaging twice per minute. Overall, he used the word “I,” 24 times, “me” 3 times, and “my” another 3 times. 

“I remember I had the pleasure of meeting Elijah’s mother, Ruth, and she told me she prayed for me every day, and I knew it was true, and I felt better for it,” Obama said early on, somehow managing to pack six references to himself in a single sentence. 

“I was thinking I would want my daughters to know how much I love them, but I would also want them to know that being a strongman includes being kind — a strong man includes being kind,” the former president said in another excessively self-referential passage. 

Obama used the eulogy to tout his economic record. 

“Once during my presidency, when the economy still looked like it might plunge into depression, when the health-care bill was pronounced dead in Congress, I would watch Elijah rally his colleagues,” Obama said, being sure to work in a reference to the man he was eulogizing. 

But Obama didn’t only talk about himself, he also took a couple lightly veiled shots at President Trump.

“There’s nothing weak about kindness and compassion,” Mr. Obama the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore. “There’s nothing weak about looking out for others. There’s nothing weak about being honorable. You’re not a sucker to have integrity and to treat others with respect.”

Pointing to a sign referring to “the Honorable,” Mr. Cummings, Obama continued: “That’s a title that we confer to all kinds of people who get elected to public office. We’re supposed to introduce them as honorable. But Elijah Cummings was honorable before he was elected to office. There’s a difference. There’s a difference if you were honorable and treated others honorably outside the limelight.” 

The crowd knew Obama was digging at President Trump — who had a notoriously testy relationship with the departed lawmaker — and cheered wildly.