In a lengthy letter published on Thursday by the Economist, President Obama shares his thoughts about the seeming rise of sentiment against globalization and trade and the increase in leanings towards protectionism.

In a lengthy letter published on Thursday by The Economist, President Obama shares his thoughts about the seeming rise of sentiment against globalization and trade and the increase in leanings towards protectionism. 
He suggests, “Much of this discontent is driven by fears that are not fundamentally economic. The anti-immigrant, anti-Mexican, anti-Muslim and anti-refugee sentiment expressed by some Americans today echoes nativist lurches of the past..."
While he doesn’t mention Donald Trump specifically, the comment does appear to be a very lightly veiled stab at the GOP candidate, who has based a large part of his campaign on barring and deporting those mentioned by Obama from the United States.
The president also discusses the benefits the nation’s robust involvement in trade has brought, a topic both major party presidential candidates have approached with reservations due to the negative effects some deals have had on the domestic labor force. 
Obama notes that the path to the security of America’s workers does not lie in limiting exchange, but rather by, “…addressing four major structural challenges: boosting productivity growth, combating rising inequality, ensuring that everyone who wants a job can get one and building a resilient economy that’s primed for future growth.”