What are the bad things that Barack Obama has done while in office
Executive summary
A survey of prominent critiques finds Barack Obama’s presidency was marred by a string of policy choices and controversies that disappointed progressives, alarmed civil‑libertarians, and energized conservative backlash: continuation and expansion of drone strikes and secrecy around targeted killings [1] [2], several high‑profile scandals and administrative failures including Benghazi and the IRS “targeting” affair [3] [4], and political and strategic missteps — from insufficiently penalizing big banks after 2008 to failing to consolidate his coalition around Obamacare — that opponents say left his promises unfulfilled [1] [5]. These criticisms are well documented in think‑tank, human‑rights and media accounts, though each source carries clear political or institutional perspectives that shape how “bad” is defined [6] [4].
1. Drone wars, secrecy and a shaky human‑rights record
Critics charge that Obama expanded the executive’s use of lethal drone strikes, often shrouded in secrecy, producing a mixed human‑rights legacy despite his rhetoric about rights and diplomacy; Human Rights Watch concluded Obama delivered “more hope than change” on rights while failing to craft a coherent strategy to press autocrats like China on abuses [2], and academic and journalistic accounts note the continuation of targeted killings and civilian harms that alienated parts of his base [1].
2. Scandals and administrative failures: Benghazi, IRS and Solyndra
Obama’s administration faced multiple scandals that opponents say revealed mismanagement and political interference: congressional and media scrutiny over the 2012 Benghazi attack led to allegations that administration talking points were “scrubbed” (Britannica) and the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups drew rebuke and was cataloged by critics as an abuse of regulatory power [3] [4], while the Solyndra bankruptcy became a highly publicized example of risky government backing of private green startups cited by his detractors [7].
3. Economic choices: too close to Wall Street, too cautious for progressives
Many reviewers argue Obama failed to hold large financial firms sufficiently accountable after the 2008 crisis and pursued regulatory compromises rather than radical reform, a pattern Hoover and other critics say reflected misplaced faith in regulatory fixes over structural change [5] [1], and progressive analysts faulted him for not consolidating his electoral coalition before pushing the Affordable Care Act, which they say undermined long‑term political gains [1] [6].
4. Constitutional and civil‑liberties critiques from the right and the left
Libertarian and conservative commentators compiled lists accusing Obama of constitutional overreach — from controversial recess appointments to perceived executive‑branch lawlessness — with think‑tank pieces asserting significant violations of federalism and separation of powers [4]; civil‑liberties advocates also pointed to surveillance practices and the opaque legal theory behind targeted killings as evidence of troubling precedent [4] [2].
5. Political fallout and the growth of backlash politics
Analysts argue that Obama’s measured, conventional governing style and certain unmet expectations produced a ferocious backlash that reshaped American politics — with commentators tying part of Trump’s rise to racialized and reactionary responses to Obama’s presidency, a dynamic explored in The New Republic and other outlets [8] — showing that some “bad” consequences were political and sociological as much as policy failures.
6. Mixed legacy, competing narratives, and institutional biases
Assessments diverge sharply: Brookings and academic volumes emphasize nuances and historical contingency in judging shortcomings [6], Human Rights Watch catalogs moral failures despite rhetorical commitments [2], while conservative and libertarian outlets present a far sterner indictment of competence and legality [5] [4]; each source’s institutional vantage — advocacy, academic, partisan — shapes which actions are labeled the most damaging.