When the Left Dreamed of a King: Democrats’ Embrace of Executive Power in the Obama-Era

When the Left Dreamed of a King: Democrats’ Embrace of Executive Power in the Obama-Era

There was a time, not too long ago, when liberals harbored a strange yearning for a monarch, as long as it was former President Barack Obama. They applauded each instance in which he stretched the limits of his authority, and grew frustrated during moments when they felt he hadn’t gone far enough—especially on issues like illegal immigration.

If you don’t believe me, believe CNN contributor Dean Obeidallah. In a 2012 op-ed, he argued, “Liberals want Obama to be a king, not a president.” He noted that more than a few prominent Democrats had publicly expressed their disappointment in Obama.

Singer Jackson Browne said Obama was “just as beholden to the people who put him in office as any of the Republicans would be.”

Actor Matt Damon had also “very publicly attacked” the president:

Damon even went so far as to heap praise on former President Bush, saying: “I would kiss George W. Bush on the mouth” in appreciation for his work fighting AIDS in Africa. Although Damon did note his kiss of Bush would be limited to: “Three seconds, no tongue.”

Even the “distinguished professor Cornel West,” he wrote, called Obama, “A black mascot of Wall Street oligarchs and a black puppet of corporate plutocrats.”

Moreover, Obeidallah cited a recent Gallup poll that showed Obama’s support among liberals at 70%, a seven-month low.

And he concluded [Emphasis added]:

What’s clear is that the liberals speaking out don’t want a president, they want a king. Albeit a liberal king – but still a king, who would be unrestrained by Congress as well as the checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution.

These disenchanted liberals apparently wanted Obama – upon taking office – to have instantly transformed every campaign promise into law by the simple wave of a pen. Or maybe they would have preferred Obama to have walked out onto a White House balcony where, in a scene reminiscent of the musical “Evita,” he would be greeted by adoring throngs waiting below, and on the spot, declare that all his ideas were now the law of the land.

Obeidallah was spot on.

Well well well pic.twitter.com/71puw1VfK8

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 17, 2025

Obeidallah went on to point out that our constitutional form of government was put in place by our Founders to protect us from tyranny. He reminded his liberal brethren that, “Barack Obama is not a king, he’s the president of the United States.”

In a pretty good description of what we now call the “administrative state,” the “deep state,” or the “entrenched bureaucracy,” he explained:

Most of Congress was in office before President Obama was elected and most will be there when he leaves. Powerful members of Congress are like summer camp counselors and Obama is like the camper. He will only be there a relatively short amount of time, but they will remain to run the camp. And they know it.

Thus, as opposed to a king, a president has to engage in activity that some on the left view as a dirty word. That wicked word is: compromise.

It’s unlikely that many Democrats were receptive to his message. After all, they were the party in power and they were focused on pursuing their agenda.

Obeidallah’s op-ed was published one week before Obama signed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order on June 15, 2012. It’s possible that the sharp criticism from the Left was intended to pressure him into taking action.

Many have argued that this controversial directive was unconstitutional. It offered protection from deportation to individuals brought into the U.S. before their sixteenth birthday and granted temporary work permits to those who met specific criteria. Still, regardless of age, an illegal immigrant remains an illegal immigrant.

Obama took to social media over the weekend to defend his 2012 executive order and to express solidarity with the illegal immigrants currently facing deportation by the Trump administration.

Thirteen years ago, my administration acted to protect young people who were American in every single way but one: on paper. 

DACA was an example of how we can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. And it’s an example worth remembering today, when families with similar…

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 15, 2025

DACA protected illegal aliens, not Americans. You didn’t “fix” the system, Barack. You bypassed Congress, rewarded lawbreaking, and left the border wide open.
We’re a nation of laws, or we’re nothing.
You broke the law, called it compassion, and now we’re drowning in chaos.

— MAG🔫1775🇺🇸 (@realMAG1775) June 16, 2025

Given the vast number of deportations during his presidency, Obama’s post came across as especially disingenuous. According to Grok:

Obama’s administration deported about 5.3 million people from 2009 to 2017, including 3.1 million formal removals. In contrast, Trump’s second term, from January to June 2025, has seen an estimated 140,000–150,000 deportations, based on available data. Obama’s monthly average was around 55,000, while Trump’s is approximately 35,000–40,000. The significant difference reflects Obama’s longer tenure versus Trump’s early six months. Data for Trump’s term remains incomplete, and administration claims may differ from independent estimates.

Obama's administration deported about 5.3 million people from 2009 to 2017, including 3.1 million formal removals. In contrast, Trump's second term, from January to June 2025, has seen an estimated 140,000–150,000 deportations, based on available data. Obama's monthly average was…

— Grok (@grok) June 15, 2025

If Democrats are consistent in anything, it’s their hypocrisy. The “No Kings” protests held across the country on Saturday—aimed at painting President Trump as a would-be tyrant—are rich coming from the same crowd that once applauded every power grab under Obama. Their outrage isn’t about principle; it’s about power. And when it comes to attacking Trump, there’s almost no line they won’t cross and no irony they won’t ignore.

Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.

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