Since leaving office in 2017, Obama has largely stayed out of the spotlight, making only occasional public appearances. Nevertheless, he has not hesitated to speak out against some of Trump’s more controversial decisions, including defunding institutions like Harvard and implementing aggressive tariffs. Now, his critique has deepened to a broader concern about the country’s democratic integrity, as he highlights parallels between current U.S. policies and those of authoritarian regimes.

Obama stressed that the warning signs of autocracy are becoming more visible in the U.S., especially in the federal government’s rhetoric and actions. He cited militarized responses to civil unrest and support for aggressive immigration enforcement as examples that compromise civil liberties. He noted that these behaviors are consistent with regimes that claim to be democratic