Barack Obama

Barack Obama, a former President of the USA, has criticized several recent actions of President Donald Trump, accusing his administration of suppressing the media and targeting political opponents and their supporters.

In a conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper, Obama stated that it’s up to all Americans “to fix this,” identifying the ordinary citizens as the most important people in democracy.

Obama condemned the White House’s decision to revoke The Associated Press’s access to key West Wing spaces over the news agency’s refusal to use the “Gulf of America” term after Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico.

The two-term leader also criticized the Republican administration’s new tariffs, and the suspension or reduction of federal funding for universities that fail to comply with policies.

The Department of Education, this week, ordered education chiefs in school districts and states to certify that they are not using diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, regarded as a violation of the anti-discrimination law.

Obama said he was “deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech.”

Expressing disappointment at the attitude of certain “parties,” Obama said despite all that is going on, entities that ought to challenge Trump are quiet but would have spoken out if he or another predecessor was in office.

“I don’t think what we just witnessed in terms of economic policy and tariffs is going to be good for America, but that’s a specific policy,” the ex-president posited.

“I am more troubled by the idea that a White House can say to law firms, ‘If you represent parties that we don’t like, we’re going to pull all our business or bar you from representing people effectively’”, he said.

Obama described the behavior as “contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans,” adding “Imagine if I had done any of this. I just want to be clear about this.”

“Imagine if I had pulled Fox News’ credentials from the White House press corps. You’re laughing, but this is what’s happening,” he told the audience.

“Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated, that you will not be allowed into government buildings,” he added.

Obama further imagined the reaction if his administration punished people “economically for dissenting from the Affordable Care Act,” or “ferret out students who protest against my policies.”

“It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me, or a whole bunch of my predecessors,” said the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

On gun-related violence, Obama condemned the routine shootings and killings across the country, emphasizing that firearm possession should be for hunting, sport, personal and family protection.

“I don’t understand what we’re doing in allowing semiautomatic weapons in people’s hands. But I could not persuade enough of the country and certainly enough of Congress to prioritize that,” he recalled.

On life outside the White House, the former president said he’s working on the Obama Foundation which trains the next generation of leaders in the U.S. and around the world, and also finishing his presidential memoirs.