Obama Harshly Criticizes Trump: “Every Day We Wake Up to a New Attack” VIDEO

Former U.S. President Barack Obama sharply criticized the current political climate in the United States, warning that democratic institutions are increasingly under pressure.

Speaking at a memorial event honoring long-time civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, Obama reflected on how Jackson’s presidential campaigns in the 1980s helped open the door for a new generation of political leaders in the United States — including his own rise in national politics.

Obama said Jackson’s message had been powerful for people who felt excluded from American society.

Looking back on his younger years, he recalled that Jackson’s candidacy showed him that American politics had room for people who came from outside traditional power structures.

“His campaign made many of us believe that even those of us who stood outside the established political circles could find a place in the system,” Obama said.

The former president devoted part of his speech to the current political climate in the U.S., expressing concern about growing tensions and attacks on democratic institutions.

“We live in a time when it is hard to maintain hope,” Obama said. “Every day we wake up to a new attack on our democratic institutions, a new erosion of the idea of the rule of law, and another insult to basic decency.”

He warned that political rhetoric is increasingly fueling fear among Americans.

“Every day we hear people in high positions telling us to be afraid of one another,” Obama added.

Although he did not directly mention the current president by name in every instance, Obama’s remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Donald Trump and the political movement surrounding him.

During his speech, Obama also highlighted Jackson’s concept of the “Rainbow Coalition,” a movement that sought to unite a broad alliance of social groups — from workers and farmers to minorities and activists — to confront injustice and political divisions.

He placed the internal divisions in the United States within a broader global context, noting that the country is facing serious international crises at the same time, including prolonged conflicts in the Middle East, particularly tensions between Israel and Palestine.

Obama concluded by warning that fear is increasingly being used as a political tool.

“Those in power often try to turn people against each other through fear,” he said. “Some Americans are being told they are worth more than others — while others are being told they are worth nothing at all.”