Former President Barack Obama delivered a stern wake-up call to his fellow Democrats on Friday, warning that the party is heading down a dead-end road of self-pity, indecision, and misplaced expectations. Speaking at a fundraiser hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Obama unleashed one of his most blunt political tirades since leaving office.

“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions,” Obama told the crowd, according to CNN. “And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up.”

In a rebuke clearly aimed at both party elites and disillusioned voters, Obama dismissed the defeatist attitude that has taken hold since Democrats’ disastrous 2024 performance. “Don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything,” he said. “No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.”

Obama’s remarks reflected growing frustration within the Democratic Party as they attempt to regroup ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race. The former president also urged Democrats to stop hunting for the perfect candidate. “Stop looking for the quick fix,” he said. “Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.”

Notably, Obama also struck a chord rarely heard from prominent Democrats in recent years—calling for a robust defense of free speech, even when it’s uncomfortable. “Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech and then you’re quiet,” he said. “No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what, that person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage.”

The timing of Obama’s comments is significant. The party has been grappling with infighting, confusion over messaging, and internal debates about the direction of its platform. While Biden-era leadership struggles to present a compelling vision, progressive factions continue to alienate moderate voters, and donor enthusiasm has dropped.

Obama’s prescription? Less pity, more practicality. He said the Democratic National Committee must gear up for a campaign cycle that will be more “data-driven” and “social media-driven” than ever before. That effort, he noted, will take “money and expertise and time.”

Although Obama didn’t name specific figures in his critique, the undertone was unmistakable: Democrats are at risk of sabotaging their own efforts by getting lost in cultural and ideological anxieties. Rather than rise to the moment, Obama sees a party emotionally curled up on the floor—desperately hoping someone else fixes the mess.

His criticism comes at a pivotal moment when many in the base are dispirited by Biden’s first term, underwhelmed by likely 2026 contenders, and unsure of how to counter the bold agenda Trump has already set into motion.

Obama, once the symbol of soaring rhetoric and hope, now seems to be begging his party to wake up before it’s too late. His message wasn’t wrapped in poetic flourishes or inspiring metaphors—it was a punch in the gut.

In short: quit whining, stop sulking, and do the work. Because if Democrats don’t toughen up fast, the next election might be another blow they can’t recover from.