Former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris have come out swinging against Donald Trump’s latest decisions in his second term, calling them an alarming departure from democratic norms.
During a candid on-stage interview at Hamilton College, Obama didn’t hold back his criticism of Trump’s controversial policies, particularly those targeting dissent and the legal system.
“This is the first time I’ve been speaking publicly for a while,” Obama remarked. “I’ve been watching for a little bit.” Then, with a pointed critique of Trump’s actions, he added, “Imagine if I had done any of this.”
“Our Nation’s Courts Are Broken”: President Trump SLAMS “Rigged System” After Corrupt Obama Judge Boasberg Was Assigned To ANOTHER Lawsuit Involving His Administration! I’m LIVE Covering This RIGHT NOW! Tune In! https://t.co/EoVzG4FO2K… https://t.co/GigmgMAHdH
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According to CNN, Obama expressed deep concern about the White House’s handling of civil liberties, warning that Trump’s administration is exerting unprecedented pressure on institutions, from universities to law firms.
“I’m more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech,” he told the crowd of college students. “The idea that a White House can say to law firms, ‘If you represent parties we don’t like, we’re going to pull all our business’—that’s contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans.”
Obama had previously sounded the alarm on Trump’s return to power while campaigning for Kamala Harris ahead of the 2024 election. “Just because he acts goofy,” Obama had warned, “doesn’t mean his presidency wouldn’t be dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Harris echoed Obama’s concerns in a separate address at the Leading Women Defined Summit, calling Trump’s latest policies “predictable” yet deeply troubling.
I know it can feel like a different era sometimes. But fifteen years ago, I signed the Affordable Care Act into law. Now nearly 50 million people have received health care through the ACA.
With everything going on right now, it’s easy to feel like regular folks can’t make a… pic.twitter.com/TsEl9SfKDy
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 23, 2025
“There were many things we knew would happen,” Harris said. “I’m not here to say ‘I told you so,’” she added with a laugh, before acknowledging the widespread fear Trump’s leadership has generated.
“We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly unconstitutional threats,” she stated. “And these are the things we are witnessing each day in the last few months in our country.”
Trump recently secured a contract with the prestigious law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher, requiring them to provide at least $100 million in pro bono legal services throughout his second term. This agreement, which includes a firm employing former second gentleman Doug Emhoff, has raised concerns about political influence over legal institutions.
Before the deal was announced, Emhoff had already issued a stark warning: “The rule of law is under attack. Democracy is under attack. And so, all of us lawyers need to do what we can to push back on that.”
Harris, in what many see as her most direct rebuke of Trump since his reelection, emphasized the power of collective action in the face of fear.
“Fear has a way of being contagious,” she said. “But I say this also, my dear friends, courage is also contagious.”
