Obama Meets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Toronto Gala

Only two people have ever been charged under the act, according to The Federalist Society, and neither case resulted in a conviction. To violate the statute, three conditions must be met: the person must lack U.S. government authorization, must communicate with a foreign government, and must attempt to influence that government regarding an active dispute with the United States.

The penalty for a violation would be a fine, up to three years in prison, or both.

Legal analysts note that Obama’s appearance at a public think-tank event meets none of these criteria. The United States and Canada maintain diplomatic relations and are not considered to be in a formal dispute that would trigger the law’s provisions.

Simply meeting or being photographed with a foreign leader does not constitute unauthorized diplomacy. There is no indication that Obama engaged in any negotiations or sought to influence Canadian government policy. Former presidents routinely meet foreign leaders at public events, university visits and nonprofit functions without violating U.S. law.

Obama has rarely commented on his successor since leaving office in 2016. In a recent New Yorker interview promoting the Obama Presidential Center, he described how responding to certain policy decisions has created tension in his household, particularly with former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Last year the Trump administration accused Obama and former officials of “treasonous” behavior related to the 2016 election. ” Trump has posted an AI-generated video of Obama being arrested and has amplified similar claims. Some critics linked the Toronto meeting to those earlier accusations.

Newsweek reached out to both Carney and Obama for comment but had not received responses as of Saturday.