Barack Obama on Maron’s WTF Podcast: Urges organizations not to bow to Trump, calls on them to ‘take a stand’
Former President Barack Obama criticized organizations that have negotiated deals with Donald Trump’s administration, urging them to “take a stand” against arbitrary policies from top aide Steve Miller. In “WTF” podcast interview with Marc Maron, Obama emphasized that groups can resist pressure.
Former US President Barack Obama sharply criticized organizations that have settled or negotiated deals with President Donald Trump’s administration, arguing that entities “have this capacity… to take a stand,” according to his interview on the final episode of the “WTF” podcast with Marc Maron.
Obama singled out groups that comply with what he called arbitrary policies by top Trump aide Steve Miller. “We’re not going to be bullied into saying that we can only hire people or promote people based on some criteria that’s been cooked up by Steve Miller,” he said.
The conversation also touched on political strategy and Democratic optimism. Obama acknowledged the desire of some organizations to avoid backlash but noted, “We’re not at the stage where you have to be like Nelson Mandela and be in a 10-by-12 jail cell for 27 years and break rocks.”
Podcast marks Obama’s return to long-form conversation
The interview, recorded in Obama’s Washington office, is Maron’s final episode after a 16-year run. Maron described the session as a long-awaited conversation following his previous interview with Obama in 2015.
Trump’s use of National Guard draws strong criticism
Obama expressed concern over Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Chicago, calling it “a deliberate end run around not just a concept, but a law that’s been around for a long time,” referring to the Posse Comitatus Act.
“That is a genuine effort to weaken how we have understood democracy,” Obama said. Reflecting on his own presidency, he added, “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 Gov. Abbott says…’ it is mind-boggling to me how Fox News would have responded.”
Media and podcast influence highlighted
Obama praised the evolution of media, particularly long-form podcasts, as a space for open dialogue. Commenting on critics of political figures appearing on shows like Joe Rogan’s, he said, “It’s like, why wouldn’t you? Yeah, of course, go.”