Barack Obama criticized the Supreme Court during a State of the Union address regarding the Citizens United decision.
Posted by Americast, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
AmericastSep 16, 2026
Multiple independent sources (PolitiFact, Politico, ABC News, JURIST, CNN) confirm that in his January 2010 State of the Union address Obama publicly criticized the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, saying it would open the floodgates for special interests and foreign corporations to spend without limit in elections.
What was said
… Yeah, but thinking of the state of the Union address, isn't that right that this is completely unprecedented? Because I remember Barack Obama having a go at the Supreme Court? Justices that were sat right there in front of him as he delivered one of his State of the Union addresses. And he was upset about the decision they had made. That would allow basically more money to flow into American elections, the Citizens United decision. With all due deference to. Separation of powers. Last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law That I believe will open. The floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections. …
Americast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Obama's 2010 State of the Union address explicitly criticized the Citizens United decision, stating the Court 'reversed a century of law' that would 'open the floodgates' for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in elections.[1][3][4][5][6]
Supports. Politico and ABC News report that Justice Samuel Alito was seen mouthing 'not true' during the address, consistent with the claimant's recollection of a justice sitting in front of him.[3][6]
Supports. Obama later referenced the State of the Union criticism of the decision in a July 2010 White House post, confirming the position was on the public record.[2]
Context. PolitiFact's response notes that a 2010 Mostly False rating addressed Obama's overstatement of the immediate impact of the ruling, not whether he criticized the Court; the later critique concerned the rating's framing, and PolitiFact said experts agreed the ruling could open the door to foreign company spending.[1]
Context. The claimant's passage describes the speech as 'one of his State of the Union addresses' and the claim narrows this to the Citizens United decision; sources confirm the specific 2010 address, so the extracted claim is faithful to the passage.[3][4][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 2 tier 2, 3 not rated
- 1A response to a recent critique of our fact-check about Citipolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2President Obama on Citizens United: "Imagine the Power This Will ...obamawhitehouse.archives.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 39 moments from Obama's State of the Union addresses that made you wish you were therepolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 4Citizens United could be Obama’s friend in Ohio | CNNcnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 5Obama chides Supreme Court again in State of the Union speechjurist.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Obama's Clashes With Supreme Courtabcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7'Citizens United' fallout 'more dangerous' than expectedms.now · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post