Obama Signals Growing Concern Over America’s Future Under Trump

Former President Barack Obama is becoming public about his concerns about the US under President Donald Trump. According to close aides and those acquainted with his thinking, Obama no longer believes the country can simply overcome the current administration’s political and institutional problems. He may change his Democratic politics strategy of staying in the background since the situation requires more apparent engagement.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, an Obama loyalist, called American democracy under strain. Holder emphasized the need for the two-term former president to change his engagement, as the damage is substantial. He stressed that the nation can endure these challenging times, but it would have costs. Holder believes, “We won’t win every battle.”

Obama has privately expressed irritation at some of his allies who have acquiesced to Trump’s political maneuvering and attacks on democratic institutions, according to sources. His post-presidential role has been reassessed after those conversations. He is considering beyond-middle-stage endorsements. Planning reactions to aggressive Department of Justice moves, anticipating Trump efforts to repeal or weaken fundamental safeguards like the Voting Rights Act, and preparing for increased use of federal military and national guard units in domestic politics all possibilities.

Obama has argued in private that belief without testing is fashion, suggesting democratic norms are being tested in new ways. He reportedly wants institutional leaders, individual citizens, and progressive networks to act rather than observe. He has said he was once “leader of the free world,” not the Democratic Party leader, but those close to him say he feels compelled to speak up when the stakes are existential.

Obama is preparing to boost Democratic campaigns more actively before November elections. The former president has sponsored candidates in important states and plans visits in battleground regions, indicating that he believes more than symbolic involvement is needed. He appears to be seeing the struggle as partisan and as a fight for democratic norms and institutions.

Obama’s growing uneasiness reflects Democrats’ 2026 election worry. The internal discussion is whether the country is on the brink of a massive institutional rupture or whether its checks and balances can hold. Obama’s answer may depend on whether his next public chapter is more interventionist than he expected.

Sources
CNN
Yahoo News
The Daily Beast