Former President Obama has a twisted plan for what he believes should happen regarding speech online, and it is terrifying.
The former president believes that the government should have the power to develop “restraints” over what can, and cannot, be posted online in order to avoid having “disinformation” and “misinformation” spread.
Obama made the comments when he spoke to historian and author Heather Cox Richardson at The Connecticut Forum on June 17, 2025.
“I’ve said this before, but I always repeat it. You and I can have an opinion about this little side table. You know, you might not like the design, you might not like the color or how it’s finished, but we can have that discussion,” former President Obama said.
“If I say to you this is a lawnmower, you’ll think I’m crazy. And if I really believe it, I’ll think you’re crazy. And we’re now in a situation in which we are having these just basic factual arguments,” he said to the historian.
“And that further undermines trust. And those in power, those with money, exploit that space in which nobody knows what’s true. Vladimir Putin and the KGB had a saying that was then adopted proudly by Steve Bannon, which was if you want propaganda to be effective, you don’t have to convince people that what you are saying is true,” he said as he attempted to make his draconian case.