Barack Obama spoke with Boston College professor Heather Cox Richardson at the The Bushnell Performing Arts Center in Hartford June 17.

In rare public remarks, Barack Obama issued a warning on the state of American democracy but said he’s still “optimistic” about the future of the U.S.

Former President Barack Obama sounded the alarm on Donald Trump and his administration in a speech he delivered in Connecticut on Tuesday, according to multiple reports. Obama did not call Trump by name, according to CNN, but it was clear what he was talking about in a speech in which recording devices were reportedly prohibited.