Obama Slams Trump for Deploying National Guard to Chicago, Says Move ‘Weakens Democracy’
Former U.S. President Barack Obama has sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to his hometown, Chicago, describing the move as “inherently corrupting” and a threat to American democracy.
Speaking on the final episode of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast released on Monday, Obama accused Trump of “politicizing the military” and attempting to subvert federal law for personal and political gain.
“It wasn’t controversial for me to go to other countries and say it’s a good idea for militaries to be under civilian control,” Obama said. “Because when you have a military that can direct force against its own people, that is inherently corrupting.”
The former president condemned Trump’s actions as a deliberate attempt to bypass the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which prohibits the use of the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement unless under extraordinary circumstances.
“When you see an administration suggest that ordinary street crime is an insurrection or a terrorist act, that’s a genuine effort to weaken how we’ve understood democracy,” Obama said.
He further argued that Republicans and right-wing media would have fiercely opposed him if he had deployed troops to Republican-led states, saying, “If I had just sent the National Guard into Texas, Fox News would’ve lost its mind.”
Trump’s decision to send troops into Chicago is currently facing legal challenges, with a federal appeals court temporarily allowing service members to remain in Illinois while litigation continues. Similar lawsuits have been filed by California, Oregon, and Illinois officials, alleging that the deployments violate both Posse Comitatus and Tenth Amendment protections that reserve policing powers to the states.
During his presidency, Obama also authorized National Guard deployment in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore sparked widespread protests. However, those troops remained under the control of Maryland’s Republican Governor, Larry Hogan — not the federal government.
Maron, who first interviewed Obama during his second term, wrapped up his 16-year podcast series with the new interview, marking the show’s final episode.
