He started by raising concerns about a troubling decline in America’s adherence to democratic principles.

“If you follow regularly what is said by those who are in charge of the federal government right now, there is a weak commitment to what we understood – and not just my generation, at least since World War II – our understanding of how a liberal democracy is supposed to work,” Obama said, according to Connecticut Public Radio.

He underlined the significance of opposition from both government officials and civil society.

“There has to be a response and pushback from civil society, from various institutions and individuals outside of government, but there also have to be people in government in both parties who say, ‘No, you can’t do that,’” he added.

“It is consistent with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. It’s consistent with places that hold elections but do not otherwise observe what we think of as a fair system in which everybody’s voice