NPR

'Our Democracy Is At Stake,' Former Obama Adviser Valerie Jarrett Says

Former senior adviser Valerie Jarrett spoke to host Robin Young about President Trump and his administration.
Former senior adviser Valerie Jarrett spoke to host Robin Young about President Trump and his administration. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, says the United States is at an “inflection point.”

“I do believe our democracy is at stake. I think that the current administration is not only ignoring laws but eroding our social norms,” she tells Here & Now’s Robin Young. “And we can’t afford to have whoever emerges as the nominee in the Democratic Party go into the general election in a weakened state.”

Jarrett cautions Democratic presidential candidates to move forward by holding each other accountable for their actions, while also understanding how their words could be used against them as 2020 approaches.

“People are human. I’m not holding them up to the standard of perfection, and they’re not going to all get it right every

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Barge Hits Bridge Connecting Galveston And Pelican Island, Causing Oil To Spill
The collision's impact sent pieces of the bridge, which connects Galveston to Pelican Island, tumbling on top of the barge and shut down a stretch of waterway so crews could clean up the spill.
NPR12 min read
Private Mission To Save The Hubble Space Telescope Raises Concerns, NASA Emails Show
When a private space traveler said he wanted to take a SpaceX capsule on a mission to improve the aging Hubble telescope, NASA studied the options. Internal emails show concern about the risk.
NPR8 min readAmerican Government
Anti-war Protests, A Chicago DNC: Is It 1968 All Over Again? Some Historians Say No
There are clear similarities between 1968 and 2024, from presidential elections and anti-war protests to new Planet of the Apes movies. But historians tell NPR there are some key differences too.

Related Books & Audiobooks