Barack Obama has issued a terrifying warning for the future of the US if Trump remains in power.
The former president has spoken out, weeks after he attacked Trump’s tariffs.
Trump’s tariffs explained.
Trump’s tariffs were met with fierce criticism from multiple fronts, with markets taking a serious hit.
On April 2, 2025, Trump unleashed his new tariff policy, which rocked the financial world.
Trump dubbed the day “Liberation Day” as he introduced sweeping tariffs.
The new tariff plan includes a blanket 10% tariff on all imports and hefty increases for 60 countries.
Japan will face a 24% tariff, South Africa a 30%, and Vietnam an eye-watering 46%.
Perhaps the most significant impact is China, with a staggering 34% tariff, which raises their total rate to 54%.
Trump’s declaration revealed.
From the Rose Garden, Trump announced: “We’ve been waiting for a long time.”
He declared April 2 as a momentous day in American history, “The day American industry was reborn.”
Trump didn’t hold back, saying the U.S. had been “looted, pillaged, r****, and plundered” by other nations.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the stock market, with the Dow Jones falling 5.5%.
The S&P 500 dropped 6%, and the Nasdaq officially entered bear market territory.
Investors feared the tariffs would hike costs for businesses and consumers, pushing the country into a recession.
Response to Trump’s tariffs highlighted.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also raised alarms over the tariffs’ potential impact on the economy.
Schumer stated that the business community was “totally nervous” about Trump’s unpredictable tariff policies.
“Businesspeople like certainty,” Schumer said. “When Trump keeps changing things, it leads to chaos.”
China was quick to respond, announcing their own 34% retaliatory tariffs on all U.S. imports starting April 10.
The Chinese government lashed out at the U.S. tariffs, calling them “a typical unilateral bullying practice.”
China’s finance ministry warned that these actions could destabilize the global economy and trade order.
Obama’s reaction to tariffs clarified.
Former President Barack Obama quickly weighed in during an appearance at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.
Obama didn’t mince words, saying he had “deep differences of opinion” with the current president.
He specifically criticized the economic policies surrounding tariffs, claiming they wouldn’t be good for America.
Obama also voiced concerns over the government’s stance on free speech and legal representation.
“I am more troubled by the idea that a White House can tell law firms who they can or can’t represent,” Obama said.
Obama dropped a bombshell during his speech: “Imagine if I had done any of this?”
Obama’s remark wasn’t just a rhetorical question – it was a pointed criticism of Trump’s actions.
The former president seemed to suggest that the current administration was undermining basic democratic values.
The clock ticks.
All eyes are on the ongoing escalation between the U.S. and China.
With both countries digging in their heels, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the global economy.
Obama’s comments, Schumer’s concerns, and China’s retaliation suggest this tariff battle is far from over.
As the situation unfolds, analysts are watching how both sides will react to the shifting trade landscape.
Will Trump’s bold strategy succeed in reshaping America’s global position, or will the fallout be too great to ignore?
Obama has now made issued a terrifying warning.
“If you follow regularly what is said by those who are in charge of the federal government right now, there is a weak commitment to what we understood — and not just my generation, at least since World War II — our understanding of how a liberal democracy is supposed to work.
“What we’re seeing right now … is not consistent with American democracy.
He continued:
“It is consistent with autocracies. It is consistent with Hungary under Orbán. It’s consistent with places that hold elections but do not otherwise observe what we think of [as] a fair system in which everybody’s voice matters, and people have a seat at the table, and there are checks and balances, and nobody’s above the law.
“We’re not there yet completely, but I think that we are dangerously close to normalizing behavior like that.”