Barack Obama, the former president of the United States, has voiced his opposition to Donald Trump’s decision to arm Chicago.
People are alarmed by Trump’s hints that he may use a centuries-old rule to send the military into certain US states. The Insurrection Act is the relevant statute, which for certain purposes permits the US president to send armed forces onto US territory.
But in the midst of his continuous battle with Democratic-led cities, it seems that he is thinking about Democratic states rather than Republican counterparts.
The ‘crime emergency’ in August prompted him to deploy 800 National Guard men into Washington, which sparked criticism. However, he didn’t stop there; he also dispatched troops to cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
Political tensions are running high, and Obama expressed his opinions on Monday, October 13, during Marc Maron’s final episode of his WTF Podcast.
“When you have militaries that can direct force against their own people … that is inherently corrupting,” Obama shared.
He added: “We’re being tested right now. I think people, and that includes young people, understand there are consequences to the choices that we’re making. If you decide not to vote, that’s a consequence.”
He said: “You can’t constantly lecture people without acknowledging that you’ve got some blind spots, too.”
Later, Maron mentioned how his supporters responded to the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel wa:r.
In response to some voters’ disagreement with the position at the time, he stated that since we live in a democracy, you should consider it a “partial win.”
OBAMA: “What if I sent the National Guard into Texas and said I don’t care what Governor Abbott says… and just kind of took over?”
Imagine that.
Fox News would’ve held a 96-hour emergency broadcast with 18 split screens and a countdown to “Tyranny Day.”
But when it’s Trump… pic.twitter.com/JcTPRRTrbR
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) October 15, 2025
He then turned the scenario around and speculated about how the media could have responded if he had given the order for what Trump is doing with the National Guard.
He commented: “If I had sent in the National Guard into Texas and just said, ‘You know what? A lot of problems in Dallas, a lot of crime there, and I don’t care what Governor Abbott says. I’m going to kind of take over law enforcement, because I think things are out of control,’ it is mind boggling to me how Fox News would have responded.”
Fox News has long had Trump on the show as a guest.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson has since announced in a statement to Axios in response to Obama that: “[W]hether it be fostering international peace, restoring safety to dangerous cities, or creating a strong economy, President Trump has made America hot again – no matter what Barack Hussein Obama has to say about it.”
