• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, January 31, 2017

Merely 10 days into President Donald Trump’s term, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama is back in the news. He has voiced clear opposition to Trump's travel moratorium executive order.

Further, he lent support to the myriad protests nationwide, staged in response to the de facto travel ban on Muslims.

“President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country,” began a statement released from his office.

“In his final official speech as president, he spoke about the important role of citizen, and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy–not just during an election but every day.”

Barack Obama’s role during the Trump administration is yet to be determined. Having left office with a nearly 60% approval rating, per Gallup, many Americans will follow the political aims he advances in future.

As millions in the nation chant “not my president,” Obama remains a beacon of leadership for progressives, Democrats and libertarians, as well as legislators and attorney generals nationwide. He is a serious man, deliberate in his actions and rarely reacts impulsively.

So it is noteworthy that less than two weeks out of the White House, Obama has taken issue with President Trump's travel order.

If the Trump administration continues to rule by executive fiat, we can expect to hear more from citizen Obama. He may attend rallies, which would surely bolster attendance. He may appear on national television to rile up the base and speak out against what he deems are un-American and unconstitutional actions.

After all, considering the drastic swing of the political pendulum, some of his presidential legacy could be be wiped out. Thus, his post-presidential role may give him a platform to make an even stronger, more lasting impact.

Like President Jimmy Carter, who is still fighting for global human and religious rights, President Obama retains the idealism he espoused nine years ago. Expect the man who rallied a nation with optimistic cries of "Yes We Can!" to counter Trump's seemingly doomsday scenarios.

And not a minute too soon: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists just pushed the Doomsday Clock to two and half minutes to midnight, marking the closest point humanity has been to extinction since the first hydrogen bomb test in 1953.