Barack Obama made a rare public appearance last week at Hamilton College, and judging by his remarks, he’s not exactly enjoying retirement. If anything, he sounds like a man watching his legacy disintegrate in real time while his successor-turned-nemesis, President Donald Trump, reshapes the federal government with ruthless efficiency.

During the Q&A, Obama didn’t just offer critiques—he offered comparisons. And though he tried to couch it all in concern for democracy, his tone betrayed something deeper: regret, maybe even envy.

“Imagine if I had done any of this,” Obama said, referencing actions by the Trump administration like pulling Fox News’ credentials, sanctioning law firms for political dissent, and pressuring schools over student activism. “It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me, or a whole bunch of my predecessors.”

The irony here is rich. For a president who once weaponized the IRS against conservative nonprofits, spied on a Fox News reporter, and forced Catholic nuns to fund contraceptives, Obama’s sudden worry over executive overreach rings hollow. But this wasn’t really about policy. This was about performance—and legacy. And it’s clear Obama knows Trump is running circles around his old administration.

Trump’s pace since retaking office has been relentless. Executive orders, agency cuts, major deportation operations, and nonstop messaging from the Oval Office have set a tone unlike anything seen during Obama’s time in power. The Biden era looks even more stagnant by comparison. Trump is effectively doing what Republicans sent him to do—and doing it fast. The press briefings, the investment announcements, the declassifications, the bureaucratic gutting—all of it is happening in real time, and with the public watching.

Obama’s comments didn’t stop with Trump’s methods. They extended to the broader political shift happening around him. His complaints about media treatment fall flat when you consider his own record, not to mention Biden’s mass revocation of White House press credentials for hundreds of reporters. But even more telling is Obama’s growing irrelevance within his own party.

A CNN poll conducted in March revealed just how far he’s fallen. When Democrats were asked to name who best represents their party’s values, Obama tied with Rep. Jasmine Crockett—best known for her viral quips, not legislative accomplishments. Only 4% of Democrats chose Obama, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led the field at 10%, followed by Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders.

Read that again: The man once hailed as the Democratic Party’s savior now ranks behind House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and a freshman congresswoman from Texas. It’s not just that Democrats aren’t looking to Obama for leadership anymore—they’re not even thinking of him.

This might explain the tone of his comments. It’s not just jealousy of Trump’s momentum—it’s regret over his own missed opportunities. For all the lofty rhetoric of “hope and change,” Obama left behind little that has withstood the Trump juggernaut. Obamacare is still standing, barely, but nearly everything else has been dismantled or discredited. Meanwhile, Trump is rewriting the rules, reshaping federal power, and shifting the center of political gravity in a way that Obama only dreamed of.

The difference? Trump governs like a man on a mission. Obama governed like a man seeking applause. The former played the long game of bureaucracy and speeches. The latter? He’s using a flamethrower and a stopwatch.

It’s understandable that Obama feels like the spotlight has shifted permanently. His legacy is fading. His party is fractured. And in Donald Trump, he’s watching someone not just undo what he built—but replace it with something bigger, bolder, and far more enduring.

And for a man who once believed he was the future of American politics, that’s got to sting.