Barack Obama Condemns Donald Trump’s “Politicization of the Military,” Calls It a Threat to Democracy

Former President Barack Obama has issued one of his strongest rebukes yet of Donald Trump’s actions, calling out what he described as a “fascist-style use of the National Guard” in American cities.

Speaking on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, Obama criticized Trump’s attempt to use the military as a political tool to intimidate civilians and suppress dissent.

“It wasn’t controversial for me to go to other countries and say, ‘It’s a good idea for militaries to be under civilian control,’ because when a military directs force against its own people, that’s inherently corrupting,” Obama said.

The former president warned that the Trump Administration was attempting what appeared to be “a deliberate end run around the laws” designed to prevent the U.S. military from being used for domestic policing.

“That is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy,” Obama added.

The controversy has intensified as Trump’s orders to federalize the Illinois National Guard and deploy troops in Portland and Chicago face ongoing legal battles. While a federal court temporarily lifted a block on federalizing the Guard, restrictions remain on deploying troops directly into Chicago.

Many observers argue that these moves have little to do with combating lawlessness and everything to do with consolidating Trump’s personal power. Critics point out that his actions are part of a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior aimed at normalizing military presence in civilian life.

Obama highlighted the hypocrisy of Trump’s defenders by imagining how conservative media would have reacted if he had done the same during his presidency:

“If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and said, ‘There are problems in Dallas, and I don’t care what the governor says,’ Fox News would have exploded,” he said.

Obama ended by underscoring the importance of community-based policing over militarized control:

“We don’t want masked men with rifles patrolling our streets. We want cops who know their neighborhoods, who understand the people they serve. That’s how peace is kept.”

As tensions rise, Obama’s remarks have resonated deeply with those concerned about the erosion of democratic norms and the politicization of U.S. institutions under Trump’s leadership.