Three ex-presidents speak out against Donald Trump in just two weeks: A rare public rebuke

In a little over two weeks, three former US presidents have stepped into the public spotlight to raise concerns about President Donald Trump – an unusual move given the long-standing tradition of ex-presidents avoiding criticism of their successors.

Each of the former presidents — Obama, Biden and Clinton — made their remarks in carefully chosen settings that highlighted the urgency of their concerns.(Getty Images via AFP, AP Photo)

While Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton didn’t mention Trump by name, their messages were clear, according to a report by The Washington Post.

Through both their words and appearances, the Democratic leaders signalled that American democracy is facing an abnormal moment, where longstanding norms are being cast aside and exceptional responses are necessary. The report added that among living presidents, only Republican George W Bush has stayed silent since Trump’s inauguration, though he has made his dislike for Trump fairly evident.

Barack Obama urged Americans to resist President Donald Trump’s bullying. Joe Biden warned that Trump is wrecking the “sacred promise” of Social Security. Bill Clinton decried the emphasis on grievances and the need to dominate.

Historian Timothy Naftali from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs told The Washington Post, “Former presidents are uniquely qualified and situated to raise their voices and warn the American people if the country is taking a dangerous turn.”

“Think of them as a sort of advisory council to the people of the United States. And when the advisory council sounds the alarm, the people should listen.”

Naftali also noted, “What is really significant is this is happening before the end of the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. Ordinarily, former presidents give the current president space to establish himself and learn the rules of the road. … But these presidents already see the contours of the changes that President Trump wishes to bring.”

Each of the former presidents made their remarks in carefully chosen settings that highlighted the urgency of their concerns. While they spoke of core American principles, their messages were also shaped by a personal dynamic – Trump has previously targeted them or their family members with personal attacks.

What did Obama say?

On April 3, Barack Obama spoke at Hamilton College in Upstate New York, one of the nation’s oldest universities, where he pushed back against President Trump’s attacks on universities and other institutions, urging those with resources to take action.

“It is up to all of us to fix this,” Obama said. “It’s not going to be because somebody comes and saves you. The most important office in this democracy is the citizen, the ordinary person who says, ‘No, that’s not right.’”

According to ABC News, Obama’s speech at Hamilton College in Clinton criticised the second Trump administration for imposing new tariffs, threatening universities and law firms, and disrupting the international order. His spokesperson shared a transcript of these comments, which were posted on Obama’s Medium profile.

During the previous presidential race, Obama referred to Trump as “a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems” and compared him to former Cuban president Fidel Castro, “ranting and raving about crazy conspiracy theories.”

Biden’s criticism of Trump

Speaking in Chicago on Tuesday, April 16, at the national conference of Advocates, Counsellors and Representatives for the Disabled, former US President Joe Biden sharply criticised the Trump administration’s early actions in his first major public address since leaving office. According to ABC, he denounced Elon Musk’s cuts to Social Security, saying, “The last thing [beneficiaries] need from their government is deliberate cruelty.” He added, “In fewer than 100 days, this administration has done so much damage and so much devastation.”

Euro News reported that Biden accused Trump of causing “so much damage and so much destruction” and claimed the administration had “taken a hatchet” to the nation’s welfare system. The outlet noted that Trump’s federal spending cuts have specifically targeted the Social Security Administration, which serves over 70 million Americans. Though Trump pledged not to reduce benefits, planned job cuts have raised fears of delayed or disrupted payments — a scenario Biden warned would be “a calamity for millions of families.”

The Associated Press highlighted that Biden’s speech lasted just under 30 minutes and was delivered before a crowd of roughly 200 people. While he mainly followed prepared remarks, he occasionally digressed with personal anecdotes from his working-class background. AP also noted that Biden referred to Trump only as “this guy.” In contrast, Trump continues to openly blame Biden for various national issues and frequently attacks him by name.

Clinton mocks Trump’s age

At a ceremony in Oklahoma City on Saturday morning marking the 30th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building, former President Bill Clinton took aim at Donald Trump’s leadership and rhetoric. According to The Washington Post, Clinton, who left office 24 years ago, mocked Trump’s age — something he had also done at the Democratic National Convention in August — noting that he himself is younger. “Donald Trump — a paragon of consistency — is still dividing, blaming and belittling,” Clinton said.

Speaking at the emotional memorial event for the 1995 bombing that killed 168 people, Clinton drew a comparison between Oklahoma City’s ability to unite after tragedy and the nation’s current political divisions. “It’s like everybody is arguing about whose resentments matter most, whose resentments are more valid, when it’s okay to stretch the truth a little bit to gain an advantage,” he said. “If our lives are going to be dominated by the effort to dominate the people we disagree with, we are going to put the 250-year march to a more perfect union at risk.”

Clinton also used the occasion to defend federal workers, amid Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce, and emphasised the need for humility in leadership: “It does you good every now and then to admit you’re wrong,” he said.

He concluded his remarks by pointing to the strength of American institutions and asked, “Are we really going to put them at risk to prove we’re always right and our resentments are more important than someone else’s?”

Historians cited by The Washington Post noted that while it’s uncommon for a former president to publicly criticise his successor, seeing three do so in such a short span — Obama, Biden, and Clinton — is likely without precedent. All three have appeared taken aback by the pace and tone of President Trump’s second-term agenda.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.