Former US President Barack Obama has criticised President Donald Trump’s administration over the war in Iran, rising consumer prices and what he described as widespread incompetence, urging voters to use the November 3 midterm elections to rein in the Republican government.
Campaigning for Democratic candidates in Ohio and Michigan on Saturday, Obama told supporters the elections presented a crucial opportunity to challenge Trump’s leadership and influence the direction of Congress for the remainder of his presidential term.
“This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration,” Obama said in Ohio.
The former president accused the Trump administration of presiding over two years of “chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence”, urging voters dissatisfied with the government’s performance to turn out at the ballot box.
Obama also addressed concerns over the cost of living, acknowledging that economic frustrations and inflation had contributed to Democrats’ defeat in the 2024 presidential election.
However, he argued that Trump had failed to deliver the economic relief he promised during his campaign.
“If you thought everything was too expensive before ‘you know who’, everything is more expensive now,” Obama said, referring to Trump without mentioning him by name.
He also criticised the administration’s handling of the war in Iran, arguing that the conflict had strengthened Tehran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route through which a significant share of the world’s oil supply passes.
Trump, meanwhile, defended his record during a rally in Perry, Georgia, where he highlighted his administration’s immigration and tariff policies and declared that the United States was experiencing a “golden age”.
The president acknowledged that oil prices were “temporarily high” but expressed confidence that fuel costs would eventually fall.
“Our country is getting stronger and stronger all the time, and those pump prices are going to come down,” Trump told supporters.
He also defended tariffs, claiming the measures were generating substantial revenue for the United States.
Trump repeated his pledge to offer every American adult a $5,000 payout if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress, although the proposal would require a viable funding mechanism and legislative backing.
The president accused Democrats of threatening national security through their immigration policies, using derogatory language to describe several countries while arguing that the United States should prioritise migrants from European nations.
Trump also remained uncertain about whether First Lady Melania Trump would visit Ukraine following an announcement by the White House concerning a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city. Asked about the possibility, he responded, “We will see.”
Obama also mocked Trump’s renovation of the White House, taking aim at the extensive use of gold decorations.
“What's with all the gold? He's got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened up a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama joked.
The Ohio rally was organised in support of former senator Sherrod Brown, who is seeking to unseat Republican Senator Jon Husted, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who is challenging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.
Obama also criticised a campaign advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar.
He argued that the advertisement omitted important context about Acton’s childhood, including the reported criminal case involving her father.
The November 3 midterm elections will determine control of the US House of Representatives and Senate, shaping how easily Trump can advance his legislative agenda during the remainder of his term.
With early voting already underway, both parties are intensifying their campaigns around the economy, immigration, national security and the administration’s handling of international conflicts.
Trump cast his ballot in Florida on Saturday alongside Melania Trump as the contest entered a critical phase.
