http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/289494-white-house-obama-wont-talk-about-trade-deal-at-dncJuly 27, 2016, 05:30 pm
White House: Obama won't talk about trade deal at DNC
By Ben Kamisar
President Obama is not expected to discuss his divisive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal during his Wednesday night speech to the Democratic National Convention.
White House officials confirmed to reporters that the president's remarks won't include mention of the pact, which has divided President Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
"No," an official responded when reporters asked if the president would speak about the deal, which has taken vocal criticism from both the left and Republican nominee Donald Trump.
The TPP is one of Obama's last remaining legacy projects and he's repeatedly urged Congress to ratify it before he leaves office. But the trade deal remains unpopular with a vocal cadre of Democrats who have loudly protested the deal at the party's convention in Philadelphia.
Clinton previously supported TPP as Obama's secretary of State, but has since disavowed it under pressure from the party's left flank.
Clinton's reversal, however, hasn't satisfied the progressive left, many of whom were supporting Bernie Sanders and haven't been willing to jump on board the party's ticket.
Anti-TPP Sanders supporters protested the convention's opening afternoon by holding up signs and chanting "No TPP" over speakers, including Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).
The divisions are especially apparent now after key Clinton ally and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) said that Clinton would reverse course and approve a form of TPP when elected, comments that McAuliffe has since walked back and the Clinton campaign has furiously denied.
