Former President Barack Obama said the federal government is probably less corrupt than at any time in U.S. history in terms of bribes, patronage and favors. The White House’s rapid-response account replied on X: “So true — thank you, President Trump!”
The remarks came amid rising concern about government corruption. An Economist/YouGov poll this month found 53% of registered voters described Trump as “corrupt,” while 23% said the word did not fit him. Another poll found 44% of Americans believed corruption had “increased a lot” since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.
Obama made the remarks in the third episode of his six-part Audible series, “A Great Book with Barack Obama,” while discussing Robert Penn Warren’s 1946 novel “All the King’s Men” with historian Jill Lepore. He said reforms before and after Watergate reduced political machines and vote-trading, which he said had helped bridge ideological divides in Congress.
