Obama Discusses Government Corruption in New Podcast Episode

Former President Barack Obama asserted on Thursday that Washington is cleaner today compared to much of its history, highlighting a significant drop in corruption related to bribes, patronage, and favoritism.

This perspective was shared during the third episode of A Great Book with Barack Obama, which launched on Amazon’s Audible the same day. In this episode, Obama engages in a conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jill Lepore about Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 novel All the King’s Men.

Obama suggested that many might be surprised by his view. He mentioned, “People are always surprised when I tell them the federal government is so much less corrupt than probably it’s ever been, in terms of just pure bribes or patronage or favors.”

The 44th president went on to argue that the reforms that led to this reduction also took away some of the methods lawmakers previously used to build coalitions. He referred to the era of Lyndon B. Johnson, suggesting that reforms enacted around the time of Watergate eliminated many of the tools used by party leaders to exchange favors for votes.

In a more mechanical analogy, he said, “It’s part of the reason why things got a little harder to get done because that was sort of some lubrication… to help bridge some of the ideological differences that were out there.”

According to a Gallup poll released on September 2, a record 89 percent of U.S. adults believe that government corruption is widespread, marking a ten-point increase from the previous year. This figure notably exceeds the 72 to 79 percent range observed between 2010 and 2025. Particularly among Democrats, the number has soared to 91 percent, up from 57 percent during Joe Biden’s last year in office, while Republicans reported 83 percent.

Democratic leaders have been vocal about this issue throughout the month. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker claimed on ABC’s This Week that Donald Trump’s time in office represents “the most corrupt presidency that we’ve seen in our lifetimes, maybe ever in the United States.”

He further suggested, “So that is one of the things that I think Democrats can run on in ’26.”

Corruption-themed advertisements are currently airing in over a dozen House races and nearly every competitive Senate race, as noted by the Washington Sun. Republican pollster Robert Blizzard mentioned that frustration with the traditional political system is “at a fever pitch.”

Obama has been directly involved in shaping the Democratic messaging for the upcoming midterms. At a private fundraiser earlier this month, he encouraged House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to prioritize artificial intelligence oversight in the Democratic agenda.

This podcast marks the sixth release under Higher Ground’s exclusive first-look partnership with Audible and is notable for being the first that Obama hosts personally.