Obama Tries Slamming Trump—Ends Up Describing His Own Presidency [WATCH]

Former President Barack Obama addressed students and faculty at Hamilton College this week, delivering remarks that touched on a range of current political topics, including recent actions taken by the Trump administration.

During his speech, Obama criticized President Donald Trump’s policies regarding immigration enforcement on pro-terrorism supporters and restrictions on media access, while posing a hypothetical scenario: “Imagine if I had done any of this.”

Obama’s comments were met with applause from the audience, but they have also drawn attention to several controversies from his own administration that mirrored some of the issues he raised.

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In his remarks, Obama referenced recent actions under the Trump administration to deport foreign students who have publicly expressed support for terrorist organizations and the revocation of press access from certain media outlets. These moves have sparked debate, particularly on college campuses.

Obama is back to whine about Trump: “Imagine if I had done any of this.”

“It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me.”

The Obama administration weaponized the IRS against conservatives, spied on a Fox News… pic.twitter.com/RID0eoZ9om

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 5, 2025

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However, Obama’s rhetorical question — suggesting that such actions would have sparked significant backlash if done during his presidency — has resurfaced multiple incidents that occurred under his leadership.

During Obama’s time in office, the Department of Justice targeted Fox News journalist James Rosen in a leak investigation, naming him as a potential “co-conspirator” under the Espionage Act in court filings. The move drew criticism from both media organizations and civil liberties advocates.

In a separate case, the Obama administration seized the phone records of more than 20 reporters and editors from the Associated Press in 2013 as part of another leak investigation. The AP described the Justice Department’s actions as a “massive and unprecedented intrusion.”

Obama’s DOJ and Eric Holder only spied on then-Fox correspondent James Rosen, secretly seized AP phone records and rejected more FOIA requests than any administration in history.

Otherwise, great post. https://t.co/xC2BESdu5O

— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) April 5, 2025

Additionally, Obama’s administration faced scrutiny over its treatment of conservative organizations seeking tax-exempt status. Reports at the time indicated that the IRS subjected numerous conservative and Tea Party-affiliated groups to increased scrutiny during their application process.

A 2017 review by the Treasury Department’s inspector general later confirmed targeting had occurred under both Republican and Democratic administrations, but the political controversy was most pronounced during Obama’s second term.

Obama also received criticism for his administration’s aggressive pursuit of whistleblowers. Under his leadership, more individuals were prosecuted under the Espionage Act for leaking government information than under all previous administrations combined.

Public records also show that the Obama White House had one of the highest rates of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request denials in recent decades, prompting concerns about transparency.

In the final days of his presidency, Obama administration officials reportedly held meetings with Department of Justice and intelligence officials concerning the ongoing investigation into alleged ties between then-President-elect Trump and Russian operatives.

No need to imagine—Obama did something worse than any president in history. He used the full weight of the federal government to orchestrate a smear campaign framing his successor as a Russian agent. It remains the most disgraceful abuse of power in modern American politics. https://t.co/X5EIPwZwGY

— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) April 5, 2025

That investigation, later overseen by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, resulted in no criminal charges related to conspiracy and ultimately found insufficient evidence to charge anyone in the Trump campaign with collusion.

Obama’s comments at Hamilton College did not address these past incidents.

The former president’s appearance was part of the Sacerdote Series Great Names program at Hamilton College. His remarks were followed by a moderated Q&A session, during which he encouraged students to stay engaged in the political process and not become discouraged by partisan divisions.

The Trump administration has not responded to Obama’s comments at this time.

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