Former President Barack Obama on Thursday took the moral high ground by warning that “one side” of the political spectrum might attempt to “stack the deck” by stealing elections and politicizing the U.S. government. While he did not specifically name a party, Obama emphasized that such anti-democratic actions must be opposed. Speaking at the third annual Obama Foundation Democracy Forum in Chicago, Illinois, the 63-year-old former president urged a renewed commitment to pluralist ethics, warning that the consequences of failing to uphold these principles are almost too dire to contemplate.

“There are going to be times, potentially, when one side tries to stack the deck and lock in a [long pause] permanent grip on power—either by actively suppressing votes, or politicizing the armed forces, or using the judiciary and the criminal justice system to go after opponents. In those circumstances, pluralism does not call for us to just stand back and say, ‘Well, I’m not sure that’s okay.’ In those circumstances, a line has been crossed, and we have to stand firm,” Obama said at one point. Critics on social media pointed out that Obama appeared to be talking about Republicans when in fact, his own Democratic Party is often blamed for his “projection.”