Obama urges Ohio and Michigan voters to reject Republicans before midterms

Barack Obama campaigned for Democrats at rallies in Ohio and Michigan, urging voters to reject Republican candidates in the November 3 elections. The states will hold Senate and gubernatorial contests.

In Cleveland, Obama backed former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, while in Michigan he appeared with Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed. He accused the Trump administration of “chaos and corruption.”

Obama links war to higher prices

The former president called the US war with Iran unnecessary and said the 2015 nuclear agreement had contained Tehran’s nuclear programme without military strikes. He blamed attacks on US bases, American casualties and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for higher oil and diesel prices.

Before the war, one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments passed through the strait between Iran and Oman, the source says. Obama also argued that Iran had gained leverage over the route.

Tariffs and the national debt

Obama criticised Trump’s tariffs, saying consumers pay more for goods, including US-made products that use imported parts. He also mocked the trade dispute with Canada amid a threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts from January 2027.

He said US national debt had reached $40 trillion. The source clarifies that the figure refers to total federal debt accumulated under successive administrations, not the annual budget deficit.

Claims of benefits for the wealthy

Obama said Trump’s 2025 tax and spending law extended tax cuts while reducing funding for Medicaid and food assistance. He described it as a trillion-dollar tax cut that mainly benefited the richest Americans.

He also criticised White House renovations, including plans for a ballroom, changes to the Rose Garden and gold decorations. Obama separately objected to immigration-enforcement practices, saying he supported secure and orderly borders but not arrests and detention of law-abiding citizens.

Controversial Ohio campaign ad

In Ohio, Obama attacked Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over an advertisement featuring the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The ad questions Acton’s honesty and account of her childhood but does not mention sexual-abuse allegations that led to their estrangement decades ago.

The advertisement was criticised by Republicans including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, while Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended it. Obama called the use of Acton’s family history unacceptable and urged voters to support her on November 3.