Former President Barack Obama made an unexpected appearance Thursday at a progressive event in Washington, celebrating recent Democratic victories and urging unity within the party.
According to The Associated Press, during a taping of the podcast “Pod Save America,” Obama celebrated with the crowd, saying, “We had a good night on Tuesday.”
“It was a good reminder that the American people are paying attention,” he said. “They don’t want cruelty. They are not looking for people on the top trying to entrench themselves in power.”
Obama pointed to wins by New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey, saying the results show voters are rejecting President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The AP Voter Poll, surveying over 17,000 voters in New York City, Virginia, New Jersey, and California, found broad disapproval of Trump’s performance, with many saying his immigration policies had “gone too far.”
Recognizing ongoing divisions between progressives and moderates, Obama said the party is making progress toward cooperation.
“We recognize we have differences,” he said. “Yes, there are fights that are going to be fought, but deep down there is something core in us that we have in common that is extraordinary.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who supported Mamdani, recently acknowledged the visible divisions within the Democratic Party, but Obama expressed confidence the factions would come together.
“There is a lot of work to do,” he said, “but different factions are getting along and not in some cliché or phony way.”
Democrats are now eyeing the 2026 Midterm Elections, where Republicans hold a slim majority in both the House and Senate.
