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Former President Barack Obama launched his midterm election campaign efforts in Cleveland on Saturday, delivering a sharp critique of President Donald Trump and urging Ohio voters to support two Democratic candidates in closely contested races. Speaking to a near-capacity crowd of more than 10,000 at Public Auditorium, Obama called Trump an agent of “chaos and cruelty” and accused him of breaking the promises he made to American voters in 2024.
Obama’s visit centered on boosting Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor, and former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is attempting to reclaim his old Senate seat. His office confirmed that he is concentrating his fall campaign schedule on races where he believes he can energize Democrats and persuade undecided voters. So far, he has helped raise more than $15 million for midterm contests through events, emails and coordinated mailings with Democratic committees.
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Obama Takes Aim at Trump’s Record and White House Renovations
Obama kept much of his 35-minute address focused on Trump’s performance in office. He questioned whether the president was genuinely focused on policy, pointing instead to reports of White House renovations and gold-accented décor. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama quipped, drawing loud laughter from the crowd. He also suggested Trump “should be on HGTV.”
Beyond the jokes, Obama made a substantive case against Trump’s economic record. He acknowledged that many voters in 2024 were frustrated by post-COVID inflation and chose Trump based on his promises to lower costs. However, Obama argued that Trump’s own decisions had made things worse. He specifically criticized Trump’s tariffs and the administration’s decision to go to war with Iran, both of which he said had driven up prices. “This administration’s actions are directly responsible for rising costs,” Obama said. “The current president chose to make a series of bad decisions.”
Obama framed the midterm elections as an opportunity for voters to hold Trump accountable. While Trump has encouraged supporters to treat this year’s midterms as a referendum on his presidency, Obama urged voters to judge Republican candidates by whether Trump has delivered on his 2024 campaign promises. He described the election as a potential “inflection point” and a chance for a “course correction” after what he called “two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in modern times.”
Controversy Over Attack Ad Dominates Ohio Governor’s Race
Ohio’s gubernatorial race took a sharp turn this week after Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy aired an attack ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calling her daughter a liar and urging Ohioans not to vote for her. The ad drew swift bipartisan condemnation. Acton has spoken publicly about being sexually abused as a child by Arthur’s then-husband and says she has not seen or spoken to her mother in nearly 50 years. She was removed from Arthur’s custody in 1978, after her then-stepfather faced rape charges.
Obama was notably scornful of Ramaswamy over the ad. “We all know that guy — who is, like, thirsty,” Obama said. “Just wants to get attention no matter what, willing to do anything. And in recent days we’ve seen there is no line he won’t cross.” Acton also addressed the controversy directly at the rally, saying her opponent had chosen to “exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his struggling campaign.” Ramaswamy has defended the ad, and his campaign told NBC News on Thursday that it plans a $4 million push to keep it on air. Trump has also expressed his approval of the advertisement.
Brown and the Battle for Ohio
Ohio has grown more reliably Republican since Trump’s rise in national politics, yet both the Senate and governor’s races currently show as toss-ups in polling. Democrats are particularly hopeful of winning the governorship for the first time in 20 years. Representative Shontel Brown, a Democrat whose district covers much of Cleveland, told the crowd before Obama spoke: “This midterm election victory runs through Ohio.”
Obama offered warm and playful praise for Sherrod Brown, joking about his famously rumpled appearance. “He still is wearing the same suit he was in when I met him 20 years ago,” Obama said. “You know he got a haircut for this rally, but you all know he’s too cheap to get a haircut more than once every couple months.” More seriously, Obama described Brown as a genuine advocate for working people. “He is not somebody pretending to look out for working folks,” Obama said. “He has always been there for you, even when it’s hard, even when he might lose an election.”
Brown, who spent nearly 50 years in public office before losing his Senate seat in 2024, told the crowd that “corruption is woven into everything” in Washington. “Politicians who are supposed to be working for you are cashing in,” he said. When Brown linked his Republican opponent, Senator Jon Husted, to billionaires including Elon Musk and Trump, the crowd broke into chants of “Lock him up” — an echo of the “Lock her up” chants that rang out at Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign against Hillary Clinton.
Republican campaigns responded quickly to Obama’s appearance. Ramaswamy spokesperson Connie Luck said: “Ohioans can’t afford a liberal governor who shows up for Obama but never shows up for them.” Husted spokesperson Amy Natoce added: “The sight of Sherrod Brown and Barack Obama together again should send shivers down Ohioans’ spines.” Trump has rallied in Ohio twice in recent weeks and is scheduled to return next week for an event in Chillicothe. Meanwhile, Obama is scheduled to campaign later Saturday in Michigan and next week in Atlanta, where he will appear alongside Senator Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
