[Video below.] Barack Obama argued that the justice system and military must remain free of political influence during a wide-ranging interview with Stephen Colbert, in which he suggested that President Donald Trump had contributed to politicizing key institutions.

Speaking in a pre-recorded segment for one of the final episodes of CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Obama said, “We can’t overcome the the politization of the criminal justice system,” as he discussed concerns about the role of politics in law enforcement.

He continued by warning against the use of government power for partisan purposes, stating, “You can’t have a situation where whoever is in charge starts using that to go after their political enemies.”

Obama went on to emphasize the importance of independence within the Justice Department, saying, “Restoring some sense of the Justice Department being independent in making judgements about specific cases and prosecutions.”

Turning to the armed forces, Obama said, “The second thing is the military,” adding, “Don’t politicize our military.”

He elaborated on the role of the president as commander in chief, explaining, “As president, you are commander in chief,” and adding, “You are responsible for directing our military, but there had been a whole series of norms that were in place to ensure that you weren’t trying to make that military loyal to you as opposed to the constitution and the people of the United States.”

Obama said structural safeguards are needed, stating, “We’re going to have to find mechanisms to restore that,” and added, “And a good policy that I’d like to see followed is that the President of the United States shouldn’t have a bunch of side hustles.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Obama engaged in a lighter exchange with Colbert, encouraging him to consider a political run and remarking, “The bar has changed.”

Colbert responded by noting, “I’m looking for a new gig soon, and a lot of people tell me I should run for president,” prompting Obama to reply, “Well, you certainly have the look.”

The host dismissed the idea, saying, “Well, for the record, I think it’s a stupid idea,” and asked, “How dumb do you think it is for people to say that I should run for president?”

Obama answered, “Well, you know, the bar has changed,” adding, “Let me put it this way, I think that you could perform significantly better than some folks that we’ve seen.”

He concluded, “I have great confidence in that,” leading Colbert to ask, “Was that an endorsement?” to which Obama replied, “It was not.”

The interview comes shortly before “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” is scheduled to air its final episode on May 21, bringing an end to the long-running CBS program.