Obama explains why the fight for America is bigger than Trump

Former President Barack Obama

On Monday, President Barack Obama returned for an interview on the final episode of “WTF with Marc Maron.” The comedian and podcast host asked the former president his thoughts on Canada’s ability to reconnect with its core values in resisting President Donald Trump, compared to the United States’ more ambivalent reaction. 

“The question has always been, can we pull off this experiment in which people are showing up from all over the place?” Obama explained. “They're not tied together by blood. They don't necessarily worship God in the same way—or worship God at all. They speak different languages. They have all these weird foods. They show up with these odd customs. And some of them were dragged here in chains and some of them had their land taken from them and their culture destroyed. And out of all that, can we create a shared creed that allows us to live peacefully together and get stuff done?” 

Obama went on to reflect on the other side of America that’s resistant to a more free society, citing the Civil War, systemic racism, and the rise of Trump. 

“There's always been this fight over what is the true story of America,” Obama said. “And I believe deeply in this story—that if we can pull this off, if we can actually treat everybody with decency and respect, and compromise, and make democracy work—it shines a light for the entire world.”

He also condemned the Trump administration for actively undermining democracy, pointing to Trump’s use of federal troops against American citizens in cities like Obama’s hometown of Chicago. 

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Related | 'Mind-boggling': Obama slams Trump for deploying troops in Chicago

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Obama spent eight years in office being castigated by right wingers over their belief he would abuse the power of his office. Now the world is watching Trump actually enact most of the authoritarian tactics conservatives said Obama would wield.