At a private Democratic fundraiser in Red Bank, New Jersey, on Friday, July 11, former President Barack Obama delivered unusually blunt advice to donors: stop the “navel-gazing,” “whining,” and “fetal positions,” and “toughen up.” The event, hosted by Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, marked Obama’s first big return to the fundraising circuit since Democrats’ 2024 losses. Reports say it raised about $2.5 million and spotlighted candidates like Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger.

Obama’s message was a call to action: if you’re disappointed, do more—don’t disengage. He also pressed Democrats to defend principles consistently, including free speech “when it’s hard,” and said what’s needed now is courage. The remarks, circulated via excerpts obtained by CNN and summarized by multiple outlets, urged backing candidates who can win rather than hunting for a “quick fix.”

The urgency came amid rough polling headlines. One June-long ActiVote survey of 523 registered voters (reported July 1) put the president’s net approval at about –7, underscoring headwinds for Democrats but—by Obama’s framing—also a reason to organize, not retreat. Broader national trackers through late June and early July showed similarly negative net approval.

The fundraiser followed Obama’s June warnings that the U.S. is edging “dangerously close” to autocratic norms, with references to Hungary under Viktor Orbán—a reminder, he argued, that defending democratic institutions requires sustained engagement, not despair. That context turned his “toughen up” line from party pep talk into an alarm bell about democracy itself.