The usually composed Barack Obama seemed uncharacteristically urgent as he addressed Connecticut voters last week. In his first major political speech of 2025, the former president delivered a chilling assessment: American democracy is in mortal danger under Donald Trump’s leadership.
“We’re witnessing the slow unraveling of norms that have protected our republic for generations,” Obama declared, his voice tinged with something between anger and sorrow. He described an administration that treats the Justice Department as its personal law firm, the press as an enemy, and constitutional checks as mere suggestions. While careful to say America hasn’t yet become a full autocracy, he warned the country is “flirting with dangers our founders fought to prevent.”
Obama’s remarks followed massive nationwide protests against Trump’s policies and governing style, including the controversial deployment of National Guard troops to border areas. The former president framed these demonstrations as healthy democratic dissent but cautioned that protest alone isn’t enough to safeguard institutions.
His solution? A return to grassroots political engagement and unlikely alliances. “The antidote to authoritarianism isn’t just resistance,” he explained, “but rebuilding the civic bonds that make democracy work.” Quoting Lincoln, Obama reminded the crowd that democracy survives when citizens see themselves in one another – a vision that seemed increasingly distant in today’s polarized America.
