Former President Barack Obama suggested Wednesday that President Donald Trump remains unusually focused on him years after he left office, calling the president’s continued attention a “strange” habit during an appearance on the All the Smoke podcast.
The conversation began when co-host and former NBA player Matt Barnes raised the subject of Trump without mentioning him by name. Referring only to the “leader of the current administration,” Barnes asked Obama how he has handled years of criticism while maintaining what Barnes described as a calm public demeanor.
“The leader of this current administration is still very fascinated with you and your family, constantly bringing you guys up. And you’ve been out of office nearly 10 years now — how do you continue to keep your cool and take the high road, so to speak,” Barnes said.
Barnes went on to praise Obama’s response to what he characterized as “negativity and racism,” before asking whether the former president ever felt like responding more forcefully.
Obama began to answer by saying, “The thing about it is, look, you’ve gotta ask him what it is —”
“The obsession,” Barnes interjected.
“The obsession,” Obama agreed. “I obviously have a room in his head. A suite in his head.”
“Rent free!” Barnes responded.
Obama then contrasted Trump’s comments with how he said he approached the presidency during his own administration.
“First of all, when I was president, the last thing I had time to do was worry about what somebody said or my predecessor did,” Obama said. “They’re gone. I’ve got work to do.”
He continued by arguing that dwelling on a former president distracts from governing.
“The idea that I’d be worrying about somebody who came before and me trying to measure like, ‘what’s he done today?’ [and] constantly worrying about that is a strange thing to me,” Obama said. “It shows me somebody who is not focused on the American people and the job they’re supposed to do.”
Although Barnes and co-host Stephen Jackson did not cite specific examples of Trump’s criticism, the president has publicly targeted Obama on multiple occasions in recent months.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran, portraying the deal as a failure. He also referred to Obama as a “traitor” in a social media post in May, accusing the former president of bowing to Iran’s theocratic leadership. The ongoing debate over Iran has remained a flashpoint between the two administrations, underscoring how foreign policy disputes can continue long after a president leaves office.
Trump also shared a clip on Truth Social depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. The White House later attributed the post to a staff member, while Trump said the overall video was a “very strong piece” concerning voter fraud.
More recently, Trump circulated AI-generated images portraying Obama’s future presidential library as a giant dumpster surrounded by homeless encampments and tents.
The criticism has not been one-sided. Obama has also taken aim at Trump during public appearances over the past year.
Among his criticisms, Obama condemned Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Chicago last year, arguing that the move “damaged” democracy. He also appeared to reference Trump during a May interview with Stephen Colbert, saying the United States “can’t overcome” the “politicization of the criminal justice system.”
The latest exchange reflects the continued public sparring between the two presidents, even as Obama approaches a decade out of office and Trump remains in the White House.
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