Barack Obama Urges Americans to Stand Against Trump’s Agenda and Defend Democratic Values

Barack Obama has urged U.S. citizens, universities, and law firms to push back against Donald Trump’s political agenda, cautioning that Americans must be ready to "possibly sacrifice" in defense of democracy.

Speaking at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, on Thursday, the former two-term Democratic president reflected, “For most of our lives, it’s been easy to call yourself progressive, to support social justice, or to advocate for free speech without having to face real consequences.”

Obama warned that the Trump administration seeks to disrupt the international order established after World War II and highlighted growing concerns at home, where the tradition of ideological disagreement—once rooted in mutual respect for free speech and the rule of law—is under threat.