Obama Criticizes Trump: "America Is Becoming Similar to Totalitarianism"

A Dangerous Situation Far Removed from Democracy

Former US President Barack Obama criticized the political situation in the United States during Donald Trump's potential second term, stating that it is "becoming similar to totalitarianism."

According to The Hill, a US political news outlet, on the 18th (local time), former President Obama made these remarks at an event held in Hartford, Connecticut the previous day, saying that the American political environment "has become far removed from American-style democracy."

Former US President Barack Obama. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

He said, "We have not yet fully reached that point (of totalitarianism), but we are dangerously close to a situation where such behavior is considered normal," and added, "If you carefully observe what the current leaders of the federal government are saying, it is far from the shared understanding of how liberal democracy works that previous generations had."

Former President Obama also sharply criticized the Republican Party, which is the ruling party. He said, "In 2020, one person (former President Joe Biden) won the presidential election, but the person who did not win (President Trump) complained about the result," and pointed out, "In one of our major parties, there are many people who know that is not true, but pretend as if it is." This is interpreted as criticism of President Trump for refusing to accept his defeat in the presidential election at the time, and of key Republican figures for supporting him in this stance.

Regarding the recent spread of "No Kings (There are no kings in America)" protests across the United States, he said, "We must not tolerate injustice and cruelty," and emphasized, "There is a need to express healthy anger about what is happening both inside and outside the United States right now." He also said, "If you want to achieve real change, it is possible not by 'subtracting' but by 'adding,'" and stressed, "You may not agree with everyone on everything, but you must find common ground with those who share even some of your views."

Former President Obama's remarks were made in the form of a conversation with Heather Cox Richardson, a professor at Boston College. Professor Cox is known for writing the newsletter "Letters from an American" on the online platform Substack.