Former President Barack Obama on Thursday claimed the moral high ground by cautioning “one side” of politics is going to “stack the deck” by stealing elections and politicize the U.S. government.
He declined to name which specific party should be attributed with those anti-democratic principles but added they should be opposed.
In a speech at the third annual Obama Foundation Democracy Forum in Chicago, Illinois, the 63-year-old called for a renewed commitment to pluralist ethics and said the consequences of failing to do so are barely worth considering.
He said:
There are going to be times, potentially, when one side tries to stack the deck and lock in a [long pause] permanent grip on power—either by actively suppressing votes, or politicizing the armed forces, or using the judiciary and the criminal justice system to go after opponents.
In those circumstances, pluralism does not call for us to just stand back and say, ‘Well, I’m not sure that’s okay.’
In those circumstances, a line has been crossed, and we have to stand firm.
Critics were quick to point out Obama had only one party in mind when he made the claim.
NEW: Obama says Republicans are the ones who rig elections and weaponize the justice system while speaking at a “Democracy Forum.”
The comment was so outrageous that Obama could barely get the words out of his mouth.
“One side tries to stack the deck and lock in [very long… pic.twitter.com/LoKM5d7rjr
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 6, 2024
During his address at a “Democracy Forum,” Obama claimed that it is the Republicans who manipulate elections and misuse the judicial system. pic.twitter.com/PHdhK1ZiuH
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) December 6, 2024