Obama Built an ‘Infrastructure’ for Civil-Liberties Violations That Trump Will Inherit

President Obama’s farewell speech was an exercise in marking norms. Offering a clear message to his successor, he spoke about the importance of civil liberties and rejecting discrimination against Muslims. He argued that protecting the American “way of life” means “[guarding] against a weakening of the values that make us who we are,” highlighting his administration’s work “to put the fight against terrorism on a firm legal footing.” He went on: “That’s why we’ve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, and reform our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties.” He used forms of the word “democracy” 27 times.

Surveillance, indefinite detention, counterterrorism, and torture have emerged as prominent issues during the Senate about Donald Trump’s administration picks. It is not yet clear what Trump’s policies on these issues will be, although his comments on the campaign trail suggest he supports the use