Obama Warns U.S. Nearing Autocracy, Cites Weak Commitment to Democratic Norms

Hartford, Connecticut – Former President Barack Obama delivered a stark warning on Wednesday regarding the future of American democracy, stating that the nation is "dangerously close" to normalizing behaviors typically associated with autocracies. Speaking at an event in Hartford, Obama offered thinly veiled criticism of the current federal government, questioning its commitment to the foundational principles of liberal democracy. "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 stated. He clarified that by "liberal," he did not mean left-leaning, but rather a system based on the rule of law, an independent judiciary, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly and protest. Obama emphasized that democracy is not "self-executing" and requires active participation and serious commitment from individuals, including judges and government officials who take an oath to uphold the Constitution. He drew parallels to countries like Hungary under Viktor Orbán, suggesting that while elections may be held, other democratic norms are not observed. "It is consistent with autocracies," he added, referring to the current trajectory. "We are dangerously close to normalizing behavior like that."