Barack Obama, back in public eye, offers a careful warning of a Democratic slide
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Democracy, Obama said, requires government workers, judges and lawyers at the Justice Department to uphold the Constitution and follow the law.
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'It requires them to take that oath seriously, and when that isn't happening we start drifting into something that is not consistent with American democracy,' he said. 'It is consistent with autocracies. It is consistent with Hungary under Orban.'
He went on: 'We're not there yet completely, but I think that we are dangerously close to normalizing behavior like that. And we need people both outside government and inside government saying, 'Let's not go over that cliff because it's hard to recover.''
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Yet at a time when the country faces protests, political violence and the possibility of entering another foreign war, Obama kept his remarks to veiled critiques and professorial musings.
He made no mention of the growing speculation that President Donald Trump could order the United States to openly enter the escalating war between Israel and Iran by bombing a key Iranian nuclear facility. Nor did he bring up the unusual pressures and threats the Democratic Party has been facing.
In recent days, a growing number of elected Democrats have been detained, and in some cases manhandled, by federal agents; a Democratic governor was threatened with arrest by Trump and with being 'tarred and feathered' by the House speaker; and a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota and her husband were assassinated.
Instead, Obama encouraged others -- particularly those at law firms, universities and businesses -- to speak out against the demands of the Trump administration. Obama recognizes that he is unlikely to sway Republicans or Trump himself with any public critiques, so he has been focusing on issues where his words can have an effect, according to people who work with him. In April, he also called on universities and law firms to resist intimidation from the Trump administration.
On Tuesday evening, he offered a particularly stinging critique of affluent liberals before the audience in Connecticut, a wealthy Democratic state.
During his presidency, liberals felt 'comfortable in their righteousness,' he said, because it wasn't tested.
'You could be as progressive and socially conscious as you wanted and you did not have to pay a price,' he said. 'You could still make a lot of money. You could still hang out in Aspen and Milan and travel and have a house in the Hamptons and still think of yourself as a progressive.' He added, 'We now have a situation in which all of us are going to be tested in some way and we are going to have to decide what our commitments will be.'
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'Now things are a little different,' he said. 'You might lose some of your donors if you're a university and if you're a law firm, your billings might drop a little bit, which means you cannot remodel that kitchen in your house in the Hamptons this summer.'
His comments were unlikely to satisfy Democratic officials and voters who have grumbled about his reluctance to wade into contemporary politics, wanting him to offer more vocal and frequent criticism of the Trump administration. But he has made clear that he does not intend to become a leader of the opposition. Audio and video recordings of his remarks Tuesday night were forbidden, hampering their widespread transmission.
While he opposes much of Trump's agenda, Obama believes that offering a steady stream of criticism of the administration would dilute the power of his voice, according to people who work with him.
His remarks Tuesday, which wound through the use of the internet in his early campaigns to a brief history of globalization over the past half-century, amounted to a call to restore democracy by resuscitating core values of the past. Obama lamented the loss of common ground, trust and even basic facts. Woven into his comments was a critique of Trump and the Republican Party -- though he never mentioned his successor by name.
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'In 2020, one person won the election and it wasn't the guy complaining about it,' he said. 'That's just a fact. Just like my inauguration had more people.' He added, 'I don't care, but facts are important.'
Obama added: 'One of the most pernicious things that has happened is we have a situation now where we're not just arguing policy or values or opinions, but basic facts are being contested, and that is a problem.'
Behind the scenes, Obama maintains an open door to Democratic elected officials. He frequently offers advice to congressional leaders, governors, members of Congress and potential candidates who contact him for advice. Next month, he will headline a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the home of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, according to three people briefed on the plans.
At a time when his party's approval ratings are at historical lows, Obama remains the most popular living Democrat. Before his appearance Tuesday, attendees posed before a backdrop with signs reading 'Yes we still can' and 'Hartford still has hope.'
While many older Democrats are still nostalgic for the Obama years, an entire generation of voters have reached voting age in the two decades since he became a national political figure. His positions on policing, health care, immigration and trade were publicly rebuked by progressive Democrats during their contentious 2020 presidential primary race. Several of his former strategists, including Jen O'Malley Dillon and David Plouffe, played key roles in the party's losing campaign last year.
Many Democrats looked dimly on a campaign appearance last year for Kamala Harris, then the vice president, where Obama admonished some Black men who he said were not 'feeling the idea of having a woman as president.' Trump ended up nearly doubling his share of the vote from young Black men from 2020, according to exit polls and postelection surveys.
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Still, Obama remains a draw with donors and on the campaign trail, able to pack an arena with thousands of supporters. His aides anticipate that he will offer to campaign for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey, and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the party's candidate for governor of Virginia.
Obama is also busy writing the second volume of his memoir. He is producing television shows and documentaries through his company, Higher Ground, which recently released a documentary on the elite pilots of the Air Force Thunderbirds. And he is preparing for the opening of his presidential center in Chicago, which is scheduled for next spring. The privately run museum will contain digital copies of some of Obama's papers.
In private discussions, Obama has praised his party's bench of leaders in statehouses and in Congress, saying a new generation must lead Democrats into the future.
He has compared this moment to early 2005, when he arrived in the Senate with Democrats out of power in Washington, according to a person briefed on the conversations. In the 2006 midterm elections, Democrats gained control of Congress. And two years after that, he became the country's first Black president and reenergized the party.
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Politico
22 minutes ago
- Politico
Members clash over increasing their own security
Presented by Programming note: We'll be off tomorrow but back in your inboxes on Friday. IN TODAY'S EDITION:— Lawmakers debate personal safety resources— Thune's slippery megabill timeline— GOP holds first hearing on Biden's decline Lawmakers confronting a rise in political violence are grappling over whether to use more tax dollars for their own protection, even as Republicans search for deep cuts across the federal government. That question will be tested next week, when the House Legislative Branch appropriations bill funding the operations of Capitol Hill gets marked up, Katherine and Nicholas Wu report. Top congressional Democrats are pushing for more money for both Capitol Police and for a program that provides funding for lawmakers' personal security after the weekend shootings of state lawmakers in Minnesota. Some Republicans are also calling for a funding boost. Only a select few leaders in each chamber have 24/7 security, while rank-and-file members have little day-to-day protection unless they've been deemed to be under an active threat. Some members, like Rep. Tim Burchett, want more widespread coverage. There's one problem: Some lawmakers have been reticent to take advantage of the resources that are already on offer. They can use official office funds to buy security equipment and take advantage of a program providing security upgrades for lawmakers' primary residences. Capitol Police also offer to coordinate some in-district events with state and local police departments. But while more than half of House lawmakers last year participated in the home security program, hundreds of thousands of dollars in security resources were left unspent, with those not enrolled citing either lack of interest or a feeling that the paperwork and approval process was too burdensome, according to two people familiar with the initiative. Others are simply wary of additional safety measures that would restrict their freedom of movement and interactions with the public (not to mention intrude on family life). 'I don't want to have security on me. I'm a very private person. I like to go outside and be by myself,' said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that funds Capitol Police. Even so, the Capitol security budget could grow to new heights. The USCP budget request for fiscal 2026 is $967.8 million — a 22 percent boost over current levels. With lawmakers now calling for even beefier security post-Minnesota, the budget for the relatively small force could soon top $1 billion. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. Are you the one who deleted the 'Hilltern Barstool' Instagram account that followed a bunch of House Democrats and Melania Trump? 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Politico
26 minutes ago
- Politico
‘The reality we live in:' Lawmakers consider what they'd sacrifice for safety
Congressional lawmakers are once again grappling with the reality of persistent and escalating political violence — and facing a dilemma about whether to pour more tax dollars into their own protection. On the Capitol grounds, they're surrounded by layers of security and a police force that was dramatically overhauled after the riots of Jan. 6, 2021. But back home in their districts, members of the House and Senate are feeling increasingly exposed following the shootings in Minnesota that killed a state representative and her husband; wounded a state senator and his wife; and revealed a list of other elected officials who might have been harmed had the suspect not first been apprehended. It all has predictably rattled both Democrats and Republicans in Washington, many of whom responded by making new demands for more money and resources for security. A bipartisan Senate duo of Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) made the case for additional lawmaker security funding at a Tuesday morning briefing with the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms and U.S. Capitol Police, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Across the Capitol, House Democrats held a briefing Tuesday afternoon to hear from law enforcement officials and get walked through available resources, according to three people familiar with the discussion. And Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee sent a letter to the House Administration Committee calling for an expansion of what House members are allowed to spend on security expenses, including on 'around the clock' security personnel instead of only during 'official conduct and representational duties' — restrictions he called 'inadequate.' Recent events have also prompted fresh questions about what can be done and how much money is actually necessary to alleviate the risks that come with being a public figure. The answer is enormously complicated. Ultimately, lawmakers are divided over welcoming — and paying for — the kinds of additional safety precautions that would inevitably restrict their freedom of movement, limit their interactions with regular people and intrude on their family life. Unlike the senior most leaders who have 24/7 security details, rank-and-file members are typically left to their own devices unless they are deemed to be under active threat by Capitol Police. 'I feel like the law enforcement — they're doing their best to protect us. I try to make good, common-sense decisions,' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said after his chamber's Tuesday morning security briefing. 'But you just can't get locked down. You just got to press on.' 'I don't want to have security on me. I'm a very private person. I like to go outside and be by myself,' added Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds Capitol Police. Consider two programs the House and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms and the Capitol Police have spent years trying to promote to members: one for security updates at lawmakers' primary residences and another to coordinate local and Capitol Police resources for in-district events. So far, Capitol Police have mutual aid agreements with more than 100 state and local police departments around the country to do this type of work, according to former chief Thomas Manger, who departed last month. But that's still just a fraction of what would be needed for every member to have access to seamless security coverage in their home state or district, with local departments reimbursed by the agency. More than half of all House lawmakers last year took advantage of the home security program, but those who didn't enroll cited either a lack of interest or a feeling that the paperwork and approval process were too burdensome, according to two people familiar with the administration of the initiative, granted anonymity to speak candidly about it. That left hundreds of thousands of dollars in the House Sergeants-at-Arms budget unspent. The extent to which recent events might be changing lawmakers' thinking will be tested next week, when the House Legislative Branch appropriations subcommittee is scheduled to meet to consider its bill to fund the operations of Capitol Hill. In a spending cycle where Republicans in both chambers are looking for deep cuts, lawmakers will have to decide if their own security is worthy of further investment — and what that security might look like. Manger, in his final budget proposal to House and Senate appropriators, asked for an allocation of $967.8 million for fiscal 2026, a 22 percent boost over the current funding level which was set in fiscal 2024. The Capitol Police budget has already increased more than 70 percent since Jan. 6. And with some lawmakers calling this week for even more resources for member security, the budget for the relatively small force could top $1 billion for the first time this year or next. Top House Democrats, for instance, have asked Speaker Mike Johnson to boost funding for security through what's known as the Member Representation Allowance, which each House member receives to fund basic office expenses including payroll. Increasing the MRA would allow lawmakers to increase security capabilities without taking away money that pays staff salaries. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said he supports additional resources for member security but stressed that it must be implemented in a way that is 'unobtrusive and non-interfering' with lawmakers' work. 'I have no intention of changing the way I live or do my job, because accessibility is part of who I am as a public official,' Blumenthal continued. 'But I understand how people are scared.' Capitol Police have poured significant financial resources over the last four years into overhauling their intelligence operations and expanding the assessment teams that handle the growing threats against lawmakers. Blumenthal said he wants those capabilities further ramped up, saying right now serious threats are too often 'discounted as a prank or a joke.' Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) made a similar case, arguing there would be value in having more tools to identify individuals who are 'going beyond the normal bickering that you find on social media, getting to the point where they appear to be more dangerous or making actual accusations or threats to individuals that they might at some point act on in the future.' Reps. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), the chair and ranking member of the House Administration Committee, on Tuesday wrote to the Justice Department requesting that an assistant U.S. attorney or a special assistant U.S. attorney be assigned 'to each of the 94 federal districts to, at least on a part-time basis, investigate and prosecute threats against Members of Congress.' Some lawmakers also continue to push for increased security and Capitol Police protection at their homes in the aftermath of the attackon then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband at their San Francisco residence in Oct. 2022. Capitol Police have tried to build strong working relationships with local departments to counter threats, swatting attempts and problems at town halls or other events — hoping that local law enforcement can help fill the gaps in protection faced by members of Congress when they're back home. The force opened several satellite offices in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riots, too, in part to respond to increased threats to lawmakers outside of Washington. The department reported more than 9,400 threats against members in 2024, and a good number of those were deemed credible enough to require temporary protective details for rank-and-file lawmakers who otherwise would not be entitled to them. In a statement, a Capitol Police spokesperson said the force would keep doing its work: 'We continue to closely coordinate with the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms to enhance security for Members of Congress. Their partnerships, along with assistance from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across the country, are extremely important to keep everyone safe. 'For safety and security reasons, we will not discuss those details,' the spokesperson said, 'but we will continue to focus on continuing intelligence sharing with our partners and providing proactive enhancements.' But Manger lamented in an interview days before his retirement that, 'We're always robbing Peter to pay Paul to put that together,' referring to the need to urgently assemble Capitol Police details for members under threat. Mullin conceded that no matter what choices lawmakers make, worries of political violence will continue to be a way of life. 'I operate right now with a tremendous amount of death threats on us. I mean, if you go to my house, I have bulletproof glass on the bottom part of my house. … We have cameras everywhere. We have security dogs,' said Mullin. 'It is, unfortunately, the reality we live in.' Lisa Kashinsky contributed to this report.
Newsweek
26 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Israel's Missile Defenses Running Short as Iran Fires Hypersonics: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Israel is running low on its supply of Arrow missile interceptors just as Iran unleashes hypersonic missiles in its latest attack, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing a senior U.S. official, the report said American defense leaders have known for months about the shortfall, raising urgent questions about Israel's ability to defend itself from high-speed, long-range threats. The revelation coincides with Iran's announcement that it fired Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles at Israel on Wednesday. The missiles, which travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can maneuver mid-flight, pose a serious challenge to even advanced missile defense systems. Newsweek has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces and Iran's foreign ministry. Why It Matters Israel's Arrow system is a key part of its multi-layered missile defense, built to intercept long-range ballistic threats. A shortage of interceptors during the sixth day of active conflict with Iran could leave major population centers increasingly vulnerable—especially as Iran now deploys faster, more evasive hypersonic missiles. The introduction of such advanced weapons has reshaped the threat landscape. As both nations trade strikes and diplomacy stalls, military readiness—and the ability to intercept incoming fire—has become a defining factor in the escalating confrontation. Iranian missiles face off israeli interceptive missiles over Beirut, Lebanon. June 14 2025. Iranian missiles face off israeli interceptive missiles over Beirut, Lebanon. June 14 2025. Nael Chahine/AP Photo What to Know The shortage of Arrow interceptors stems from intense missile barrages in recent days combined with limited production capacity. A senior U.S. official told the Wall Street Journal that Washington has been aware of the issue for months and has responded by deploying additional American assets across land, sea, and air in the region. However, the official did not specify how many interceptors remain or when production might replenish Israel's stockpile. Defensive Missile System It [Israel] will expand its target sets to increase the pain and force the Iranian regime to change its behavior. Seth Krummrich, Retired U.S. Army Colonel Jointly developed by Israel and the U.S., the Arrow system defends against long-range ballistic threats with layered coverage beyond Patriot and David's Sling. Arrow 2 targets missiles in the upper atmosphere, while Arrow 3 intercepts them in space. Both use high-speed "hit-to-kill" technology and support Israel's broader missile shield, including Iron Dome. Hypersonic Retaliation Yet hypersonic missiles like Iran's Fattah-1 pose a new and serious challenge. Their extreme speed—over five times the speed of sound—combined with mid-flight maneuverability makes them far harder to track and intercept, even for advanced systems like Arrow. Iran said it had fired Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles at Tel Aviv, saying the strikes "shook the shelters" across the city. Iran state media released video footage of the launches, highlighting Tehran's expanding military capabilities. Alongside the hypersonic missiles, Iran also deployed a "swarm of drones" targeting Israeli territory, further complicating the defense landscape. Video released by Iran's IRGC show the moment Iran launched missiles against Israel Follow — Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) June 18, 2025 Israel retaliated with strikes on weapons factories and a centrifuge plant in Tehran, after warning civilians to evacuate the area. The IDF also intercepted two drones over the Dead Sea. Though casualties were minimal, the use of advanced missiles and drones marks a sharp escalation in the conflict's intensity and sophistication. US Weighs Options Amid the intensifying conflict, President Donald Trump reiterated his support for Israel but signaled growing impatience with Tehran. While the administration has so far avoided direct military engagement, U.S. officials confirmed that the USS Nimitz carrier strike group has been deployed to the region, and Trump convened his National Security Council to discuss possible options. No decision on intervention has been announced, but officials say military involvement remains under consideration. The developments came as Iran claimed to have struck what it described as a Mossad intelligence facility inside Israel, escalating tensions further. Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. Rescue team work at the site where a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. Baz Ratner/AP Photo What People Are Saying Seth Krummrich, Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Vice President at Global Guardian told Newsweek: "Initially, Israel focused primarily on military and nuclear targets. If Israel does not achieve the effects it wants, it will expand its target sets to increase the pain and force the Iranian regime to change its behavior. I expect to see expanded targeting of governmental facilities and oil and gas infrastructure to continue to increase the pain level to an intolerable level that Iran has to negotiate. Iran will continue to launch ballistic missile strikes against any Israeli targets with the goal of wearing down Israel's will and reducing Israel's interceptor stockpile to do more damage." What Happens Next As missile technology evolves and tensions rise, Israel's ability to restore interceptor supplies may shape not only the conflict's trajectory but the broader stability of the region. Whether the U.S. remains on the sidelines or steps in more directly could depend on how long Israel can hold the line.
