Barack Obama
On a midterm swing through Michigan, Ohio and Georgia, he joked that Trump's gold-heavy White House renovations looked like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," a jab that opened a running feud.
Barack Obama is headlining the Democrats' closing midterm push, stumping Michigan, Ohio and Georgia before November 3. He frames the election as "our last, best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration." He tells voters, 'If you thought everything was too expensive before "you know who," everything is more expensive now,' and blames the administration's war with Iran for rising energy costs.
The loudest thread is his running feud with Donald Trump. Obama joked at a Cleveland rally that the gold-heavy White House renovations looked like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," then told a Georgia crowd the administration mobilized a "whole-of-government response" to a joke rather than address food prices, calling critics "not serious people." Trump called him a "lousy president" and claimed Obama left the White House "filthy, dirty and broken," while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked Obama's presidential library from a Cheesecake Factory.
The itinerary tracks close races: Ohio stops for Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton; Detroit rallies for Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, where he brushed off Trump's Muslim Brotherhood attacks with "Not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul"; and Georgia rallies for Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. He has endorsed Florida state Representative Angie Nixon for Senate, backed Michigan's Proposal 2 pay-to-play ban, and cut a Maryland ad with Governor Wes Moore for Question 3, a redistricting amendment trailing in polls.
Peter Thiel publicly accused him of exploiting AI fears, and a Wall Street Journal letter from Saul Stein argued his comments in Ireland after the October 7, 2023 massacre came close to justifying the attacks. In Manchester this month he warned that "we tend to forget how recently democracy has taken hold and how fragile it is."
On their plate
Obama is headlining the closing stretch before November 3: an October 28 Atlanta rally for Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, Ohio stops for Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, and Detroit rallies for Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed. He frames the midterms as "our last, best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration" and a "circuit breaker" against "chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence," and in Ohio he condemned Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for an attack ad featuring Acton's estranged mother. Polls give him a plus-20 net favorability rating to Trump's minus-18, with the gap widest among independents.
Obama's joke at a Cleveland rally that Trump's gold-heavy White House renovations looked like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory" has grown into a running dispute. He escalated at a Georgia rally, saying the administration mobilized a "whole-of-government response" to a joke rather than address inflation and food prices, and calling his critics "not serious people." Trump has called him a "grossly incompetent President" and "lousy president" and claimed Obama left the White House "filthy, dirty and broken," while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mocked Obama's presidential library from a Cheesecake Factory.
Obama is fronting Abdul El-Sayed's bid for a Michigan Senate seat Democrats need high turnout to win, rallying in Detroit as part of the campaign's Black-voter outreach alongside Senator Raphael Warnock and Representative Ayanna Pressley. He pushed back on Trump's Muslim Brotherhood attacks with the line "Not in Michigan. It's not going to work on Abdul."
Obama endorsed Florida state Representative Angie Nixon for U.S. Senate, saying "Angie has spent her career standing up for you," and backed Michigan Proposal 2, a ban on political contributions to state politicians from regulated utilities and large state contractors, which holds more than 70 percent voter support. He is also campaigning with Maryland Governor Wes Moore for Question 3, a redistricting amendment, releasing a TV ad urging voters to "stop this Republican power grab by voting Yes on Question 3" even as polls show majority opposition.
A Wall Street Journal letter from Saul Stein argued Obama's comments in Ireland after the October 7, 2023 massacre came close to justifying the attacks, warning of similar danger from DSA-backed candidates. Separately, Peter Thiel has publicly accused Obama and the Pope of exploiting fears around artificial intelligence.
Key relationships
Obama is mocking the sitting president on the midterm stump, and Trump is returning the insults in kind.
Obama is rallying for El-Sayed's Senate bid and defending him from Trump's Muslim Brotherhood attacks.
Obama condemned the Republican's attack ad featuring Amy Acton's estranged mother.
The Treasury Secretary joined Trump's return fire over Obama's renovation joke.
Obama campaigned for Acton's gubernatorial bid and defended her from Ramaswamy's attack ad.
Obama is headlining Georgia rallies for her gubernatorial campaign.
Obama is headlining Georgia rallies for Ossoff's Senate campaign ahead of November 3.
Obama is campaigning alongside Moore for Maryland's Question 3 redistricting amendment, appearing together in a TV ad.
Obama campaigned for Brown's Ohio Senate bid.
Thiel has publicly accused Obama of exploiting fears around artificial intelligence.
