Former President Barack Obama faced backlash during his speech at the Obama Foundation’s 2024 Democracy Forum for claims about Republicans that critics said mirrored his own party’s actions. Obama accused Republicans of “stacking the deck,” suppressing votes, politicizing the military, and weaponizing the justice system—remarks some viewed as hypocritical, given similar actions attributed to Democrats.

Obama’s brief pause mid-speech, where he appeared to self-censor, drew attention on social media, with critics like Kevin Sorbo and conservative commentator Collin Rugg highlighting the moment as revealing.

Separately, reports suggest Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pressured President Joe Biden to abandon his reelection bid after a poor debate performance against now-President-elect Donald Trump. Actor George Clooney, feeling misled after supporting Biden’s exit, reportedly criticized Obama for leaving him to manage fallout among Hollywood elites.