Former President Barack Obama has criticized recent federal immigration raids in Minnesota and denounced a racist video shared by President Donald Trump, describing both as troubling signs of a deterioration in American political norms.
In a wide-ranging podcast interview released Saturday with commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama addressed the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation known as Operation Metro Surge.
The deployment sent more than 2,000 federal agents to Minnesota in sweeping raids that drew protests and national scrutiny.
Obama called the operation unprecedented and raised concerns about what he described as unclear guidelines and training for agents.
“The rogue behavior of agents of the federal government is deeply concerning and dangerous,” he said.
Operation Metro Surge unfolded over several weeks, with thousands of agents conducting targeted missions that the Trump administration said were aimed at criminals.
The crackdown triggered large protests and mounting political pressure after two fatal shootings.
Obama compared some enforcement tactics to actions seen in authoritarian countries, pointing to reports of agents pulling people from homes and using tear gas on crowds.
Border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the operation is concluding, citing numerous public safety threat arrests and a reduced need for rapid response teams due to fewer agitators.
The Department of Homeland Security faced a partial government shutdown as lawmakers debated funding and oversight of immigration enforcement.
Obama said community members responded by organizing peaceful protests and supporting affected families, adding that such actions should give Americans hope.
Obama also addressed a video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account that depicted him and former First Lady Michelle Obama as monkeys.
Without naming Trump directly, Obama described the state of political rhetoric as a “clown show” and said many Americans find such behavior deeply troubling.
The White House initially dismissed criticism before attributing the post to a staff error and removing it.
Trump later said he stood by the broader claims in the video but had not seen the offensive clip.
“The answer is going to come from the American people,” Obama said.