The 44th President of the United States has finally had his say
Barack Obama has broken his silence amid US President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs, remaking they will not be ‘good for America’.
Trump Unveils Aggressive New Tariffs, Targets 60 Countries in Fiery “Liberation Day” Speech
On April 2, former President Donald Trump, now 78, shook up global trade once again by announcing a sweeping new wave of import tariffs during a bold Rose Garden address at the White House. Declaring it “Liberation Day” for the United States, Trump introduced a 10% baseline tariff on all imported goods—a policy he described as a decisive move to protect American industry.
But that was just the beginning.
Trump also revealed a list of 60 nations he labeled the “worst offenders,” which will face significantly higher rates. Among the hardest hit: Japan at 24%, South Africa at 30%, and Vietnam, which faces a steep 46% tariff.
The dramatic policy shift has sparked intense global reactions—and now, former President Barack Obama, 63, has weighed in on the controversial move.
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Obama Breaks Silence on Trump’s Return and Tariff Surge During Candid College Talk
Appearing at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, on Thursday, April 4, former President Barack Obama—who served as the 44th President of the United States from 2009 to 2017—offered rare public comments on the sweeping new tariffs announced by Donald Trump.
In a thoughtful conversation with College President Steven Tepper, Obama confirmed he’s currently working on the second volume of his presidential memoirs. Though much of the event focused on broader topics, including America’s ongoing struggle with gun violence, the former president eventually addressed the elephant in the room—his successor’s dramatic return to power.
“I have deep differences of opinion with my most immediate successor—who’s now president once again,” Obama said, pausing as the audience reacted.
He went on to express concern over the current direction of U.S. leadership: “There are a host of policies that we could be discussing where I have strong opinions,” he added, pointing to what he described as a troubling erosion of foundational government principles.
Finally, turning to Trump’s newly announced tariffs, Obama didn’t hold back—offering a glimpse into his candid thoughts on the Administration’s economic strategy and its global ramifications.
Obama Slams Trump-Era Policies: “Imagine If I Had Done Any of This?”
During his visit to Hamilton College, Barack Obama didn’t shy away from addressing the current administration’s direction, delivering one of his most pointed critiques yet of President Trump’s return to office.
“When I watch some of what’s going on now, it does not—look, I don’t think what we just witnessed in terms of economic policy and tariffs is going to be good for America,” Obama began. “But that’s just one policy.”
His deeper concern, he explained, lies with the state of democratic institutions.
“I’m more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech,” the former president and father-of-two continued. “I am more troubled by the idea that a White House can say to law firms, ‘If you represent parties we don’t like, we’ll pull our business—or bar you from representing people at all.’”
Then came the line that drew a hushed murmur from the audience:
“Imagine if I had done any of this?”
Obama went on to call out the glaring double standards, asserting that it would have been “unimaginable” for the same political figures who are now silent to have tolerated such actions had they come from him—or any of his predecessors.
Still, the former president struck a hopeful chord in closing, reminding listeners that change doesn’t rest on a single individual: “It’s not up to one person to fix what’s going on. It never has been.”
“It’s Up to All of Us”: Obama Urges Civic Action as Trump’s Tariffs Take Effect
Obama closed his remarks with a powerful call to action, urging Americans not to wait for a political savior but to reclaim their role in democracy.
“It is up to all of us to fix this,” he said firmly. “It’s not going to be because somebody comes and saves you. The most important office in this democracy is the citizen—the ordinary person who says, ‘No, that’s not right.’”
Reflecting on the nation’s current challenges, he added, “I do think one of the reasons that our commitment to democratic ideals has eroded is that we got pretty comfortable and complacent.”
Meanwhile, President Trump continues to charge forward with his bold new economic vision.
Using his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trump implemented a sweeping 10% tariff on all imports, which officially took effect today, April 5. The former president-turned-current commander-in-chief insists the move is essential to revitalizing American industry and reducing reliance on foreign goods.
“For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike,” Trump declared in a defiant address.
But the 10% blanket tariff is just the beginning.
Starting April 9 at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a second wave of reciprocal tariffs will be enforced, targeting over 60 nations the administration claims have the largest trade imbalances with the U.S. Countries like Japan, South Africa, and Vietnam will face custom duties as high as 24%, 30%, and 46%, respectively.
According to the White House, these tariffs will remain in place “until the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated.”
With both leaders laying out vastly different visions for America’s path forward, one thing is clear: the battle for the nation’s economic and democratic identity is far from over.
