MAGA Melts Down Over Obama Doing the President’s Job
“This should worry the U.S. a little,” one user commented.
The “MAGA sphere” is in an uproar after a world leader welcomed former President Barack Obama with open arms.
On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted a warm welcome message for Obama on the platform “X” (formerly Twitter), stating: “Welcome back to Canada, Mr. President @BarackObama.” This message coincided with the former president’s arrival in Toronto, where he was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at a Canadian think tank.
This welcome post sparked a veritable frenzy within “MAGA” circles, with some commentators claiming that Obama, 64,was breaking federal law.
Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer, wrote on “X” in response to Carney’s initial post: “Why is Barack Hussein Obama meeting with world leaders while President Trump is in office?” Carney’s post also included video footage showing him welcoming Obama, set to upbeat background music.
Loomer added: “This is a coup.”
Some individuals—including conservative influencer Nick Sortor—argued that the former president should face legal prosecution for his alleged violation of the “Logan Act,” a U.S. federal law prohibiting private citizens from conducting unauthorized negotiations with foreign governments involved in disputes with the United States.
However, Obama was not conducting any negotiations; he was merely delivering a speech at an independent think tank—a common practice among former leaders.
Sortor wrote on the “X” platform: “Obama needs to sit down and figure out his freaking place before his a– ends up in prison for violating the Logan Act,” adding: “Trump is our president. You’ve been benched, Hussein.” »
“This piece of s–t will get away with this trip. Logan act! Lock him up!” one user posted on X, while another corrected Carney, writing, “Obama is not President first off. Secondly this is a violation of the Logan Act.”
In reality, referring to a former president simply by the title “President” is a common practice in American culture, serving as an honorary title; indeed, former presidents frequently deliver keynote speeches at universities, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
Nevertheless, Carney’s omission of the qualifier “former” prompted some internet users to correct his error—often in capital letters—to underscore their disagreement.
“It’s FORMER President zero,” one user posted, adding, “If he’s claiming to act on behalf of the American people in your ‘talks,’ he’s in violation of the Logan Act.”
Another user addressed the Canadian Prime Minister, asking: “@MarkJCarney, are you implying, then, that Barack Obama is still president, given that you just referred to him as ‘President Barack Obama’?”—while tagging President Donald Trump (aged 79)—and adding: “This should be a cause for some concern in the United States.”
The Canadian Prime Minister’s meeting with Obama comes one year after his meeting with Trump—a meeting during which he told the sitting president that Canada was “absolutely not for sale.” This statement followed an insinuation by Trump suggesting that he wished to make Canada the 51st U.S. state.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada sought to distance himself from the United States amidst a climate of tension with Trump—who, during the World Economic Forum in January, had declared: “Canada is still standing thanks to the United States.” This remark came in response to a speech by Carney that spoke of the “fragmentation” of the global order.
For his part, the U.S. President made no secret of his displeasure with Obama, who told The New Yorker magazine on Monday that the current president’s term had drawn him back into the political arena “more than he would have liked.”
In February, Trump acknowledged having approved the publication of content on the “Truth Social” platform—including, notably, a racist video clip featuring Barack and Michelle Obama; however, he insisted that he had not seen the images depicting them as apes, and refused to offer any apology for the incident.
