In a recent interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, former President Barack Obama strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s domestic deployment of military forces and accused U.S. institutions of caving to political pressure. His comments followed the Trump administration’s announcement of a major Middle East peace deal but instead focused on concerns about civic erosion and institutional integrity within the United States.

Obama warned that key democratic norms and institutional safeguards are being deliberately weakened. “I don’t think they’re destroyed, but I think they have been damaged,” he said. He pointed to the deployment of National Guard troops in cities like Chicago and Portland as a troubling example of bypassing legal limits and undermining democratic principles.

The former president also criticized the Trump administration’s portrayal of urban crime as insurrection, calling it a distortion of democratic values. He argued that if he had taken similar actions during his presidency, media reactions — particularly from conservative outlets like Fox News — would have been far more critical and hostile.

Beyond government actions, Obama expressed disappointment in private institutions, including universities, law firms, and corporations, that he believes compromised their values to cooperate with the Trump administration. He highlighted the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and urged these institutions to stand firm against political pressure and maintain inclusive hiring practices.

Finally, Obama emphasized the importance of empathy, self-awareness, and non-political law enforcement. He cautioned against moral superiority in political discourse and warned against politicizing the justice system. The White House, while defending its use of federal forces as a response to crime, did not directly address Obama’s criticisms.

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