President Trump 'obsessed with former President Obama,' columnist claims

President Donald Trump has spent much of the first six months of his presidency promoting his own agenda, but he's also worked to dismantle some of his predecessor's achievements.

From his fervent efforts to repeal Obamacare to his efforts to deregulate mountaintop mining and water protections, Trump has worked closely with the Republican-controlled Congress to dismantle some of President Barack Obama's biggest and most impactful policies.

SEE MORE: Trump administration seeks to rescind Obama-era clean water rule

In a op-ed in the New York Times, columnist Charles Blow argues that his actions, both before and after becoming president, prove that Trump is obsessed with Obama.

He points to the issue that brought Trump into the political sphere to begin with -- birtherism. Trump became one of the most ardent advocates of investigations into Obama's true birth origins, questioning the veracity of claims he was born in the United States even after he produced his long-form birth certificate.

He points to Trumps "lies" about the former president as a further sign of obsession.

"Trump has lied often about Obama: saying his inauguration crowd size exceeded Obama's, saying that Obama tapped his phones and, just this week, saying that Obama colluded with the Russians," Blow writes.

SEE ALSO: Trump claims Obama 'colluded or obstructed' on Russia's 2016 election involvement

Blow argues that Trump wants to be Obama, and that he wants to earn the respect the former president had, but that he also wants to destroy his legacy.

"For Trump, the mark of being a successful president is the degree to which he can expunge Obama's presidency," he adds.