Overview

• Obama warned that the federal government’s conduct is “consistent with autocracies” and said the U.S. is “dangerously close” to normalizing authoritarian practices.
• He criticized President Trump’s administration for showing a weak commitment to the rule of law, an independent judiciary and press freedom.
• Drawing parallels to Hungary under Viktor Orban, Obama illustrated the risks of eroding constitutional safeguards.
• He called on Justice Department officials, universities, businesses and civic leaders to uphold their oaths and push back against executive overreach.
• Obama cautioned that contested facts and widespread misinformation threaten democratic trust and urged a return to fact-based discourse.