Obama Hits Campaign Trail in Ohio and Michigan, Blasting Trump on Iran War and Prices

Former US President Barack Obama took aim at the Trump administration over the war in Iran and rising consumer prices on Saturday, as he campaigned for Democrats in Ohio and Michigan ahead of the midterm elections.

"This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration," Obama told crowds in Ohio. Speaking in Cleveland, he accused the administration of "chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in the modern era" and urged voters to say "enough is enough."

The midterms on 3 November will determine which party controls Congress for the remainder of Trump's term, and so how easily the president can pursue his agenda. Early voting is already under way. Trump cast his own ballot on Saturday in Florida, alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

Obama said he understood why some voters turned away from Democrats in 2024 over economic worries and inflation after the Covid pandemic. He argued, however, that Trump alone was responsible for the current state of the economy. "If you thought everything was too expensive before 'you know who'," he said, referring to the president without naming him, "everything is more expensive now."

He also criticised the Iran conflict, saying it had handed Tehran "veto power" over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump, asked about the war earlier in the day, said: "I've done it very effectively and I may have to finish it off, or maybe they'll make a deal, but I'm not sure. Either way, we win." Fuel prices have climbed because of the wars in Iran and Ukraine, putting pressure on the president. Trump acknowledged oil prices were "temporarily high" but insisted that pump prices "are going to come down."

At a rally in Perry, Georgia, Trump described a "golden age of America" and promoted his tariff and immigration policies. He said the country was "taking in massive amounts of money through tariffs" and repeated a pledge to give every adult American a $5,000 payout if Republicans win both chambers of Congress. He told the crowd Democrats would "loot your wealth" and "annihilate your borders," and used derogatory language about several countries while describing a past meeting with senators.

Trump was also asked whether Melania Trump would visit Ukraine, after the White House announced she had secured a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city. "We will see," he replied.

Obama also mocked the president's White House renovation efforts. "What's with all the gold? He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory," he joked.

The Ohio rally backed ex-Senator Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Senator John Husted, and Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. Obama condemned a Ramaswamy campaign ad released last week that featured Acton's estranged mother calling her a liar. The ad did not mention that the woman's husband was charged with raping Acton when she was a child. "There is no line he will not cross," Obama said.

Acton, who spoke before Obama, said Ramaswamy "has chosen to exploit my childhood" to "save his struggling campaign."