Obama hits Trump as midterm elections heat up

International

AS Donald Trump touted America’s “golden age” at a rally in Georgia, former president Barack Obama offered a sharply different assessment, criticizing the administration over the Iran war, rising consumer prices and what he described as chaos and corruption.

Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates in Ohio and Michigan on Saturday, urging voters to use the 3 November midterm elections to hold the administration accountable.

“This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration,” Obama told supporters in Ohio, as quoted by the BBC.

The elections will determine which party controls Congress for the remainder of Trump’s term, influencing how easily he can advance his agenda. Early voting is underway, and Trump cast his ballot in Florida alongside First Lady Melania Trump.

Obama acknowledged that economic concerns, including inflation and the cost of living following the Covid pandemic, contributed to Democratic losses in 2024.

However, he argued that prices had continued to rise under Trump and accused his administration of incompetence, corruption and cruelty.

Trump conceded that oil prices were temporarily high but predicted they would fall, as fuel costs have climbed amid the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

At his Georgia rally, Trump defended his tariff policies, claiming they generated substantial revenue, and renewed his pledge to give every adult American $5,000 if Republicans win both chambers of Congress.

He also attacked Democrats over immigration, accusing them of threatening Americans’ wealth and border security. Using derogatory language, he described Libya, Yemen, Haiti and Somalia as countries affected by terrorism and questioned why the United States accepted immigrants from those nations rather than prioritising people from countries such as Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Obama also challenged Trump’s handling of the Iran war, arguing that the conflict had given Tehran significant leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy supplies.

Trump said he could pursue further military action or reach a negotiated settlement, expressing confidence that the United States would prevail. Asked whether Melania Trump would visit Ukraine following a White House announcement that she had secured a ceasefire in a Russian-occupied city, he said the matter remained uncertain.

Obama also mocked Trump’s White House renovations, comparing the extensive use of gold to the decor of a restaurant associated with former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

The Ohio rally supported Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Senator John Husted, and Amy Acton, who is running for governor against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Obama criticized a Ramaswamy campaign advertisement featuring Acton’s estranged mother calling her a liar. The ad did not mention that the woman’s husband had been charged with raping Acton when she was a child. Acton accused Ramaswamy of exploiting her childhood to bolster his campaign.(MyTVCebu)