Obama tells Belfast event ‘democracy not inevitable’ but keeps Trump criticism subtle

On the way into the O2 arena in Belfast on Tuesday night one man, possibly reflecting the views of the majority of the 7,000 people who turned up to listen to former US president Barack Obama , hoped he would “tear into” the incumbent Donald J Trump .

But there would be no such headline. Obama was interviewed in Belfast by writer and journalist Susan McKay as part of a three-stop speaking engagement that also takes in Glasgow and Manchester. And while he touched on a number of subjects such as the Middle East, democracy, journalism and his regular theme of hope, there would be no verbal assault on Trump.