US midterm elections: Obama slams Trump over Iran war, White House renovation, ‘Saddam opened cheesecake factory’ | Today’s news
As the US midterm elections approach, former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail with a scathing attack on President Donald Trump, saying that “the White House looks like Saddam Hussein opened a cheesecake factory.”
Obama said this at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio (local time) on Saturday, when he questioned Trump’s ongoing White House renovations. Obama mocked his aesthetic additions to the executive residence, saying, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems to be very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV. This guy is building a ballroom that’s bigger than the White House. Paved over the Rose Garden, put a helicopter pad on the south lawn and there’s gold everywhere! What’s more with gold?”
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The rally was Obama’s first this year before midterms. There, he showed support for former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is challenging incumbent Republican Jon Husted for the Senate seat, and Amy Acton, who is facing Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for the Ohio gubernatorial race.
In addition to renovations, Obama criticized the Trump administration for the Iran war and high consumer prices, saying, “This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the follies of this administration.
The midterm elections, scheduled for Nov. 3, will be a major test for Trump’s Republican Party as it tries to maintain control of both houses of Congress.
Obama targets Trump over corruption, high prices and Iran war
Speaking at two rallies on Saturday, one in Ohio and one in Michigan, the former president accused the Trump administration of corruption and cruelty, saying: “After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence the likes of which we have not seen in modern times, you have a chance to say, enough is enough.”
On the economy, Obama, who recently joined the Democrats in the offensive, also told voters that he sympathized with those who rejected the Democrats during the 2024 election due to economic and inflationary concerns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he added that the sitting US president is the only person who can be blamed for the current state of the economy. “If you thought everything was too expensive than ‘you know who,'” he continued, referring to Trump, “everything is more expensive now,” the BBC reported.
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In addition to Trump, Obama also took aim at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying: “Hundreds of Americans have been injured. We’ve depleted our missile stockpile and Iran now has veto power over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, you have a defense secretary who is directly focused on important matters like the jaws and testosterone levels of our soldiers.”
As for the Ohio governor’s race, he also launched a scathing attack against Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who last week released a campaign ad featuring his opponent Amy Acton’s estranged mother, accusing Acton of being a liar. While the ad didn’t mention that the woman’s husband was accused of raping Amy when she was a child, the former US president didn’t hold back, saying: “We’ve seen in the last few days that there’s no line he won’t cross. He won’t stoop to try to get the spotlight.”
Obama’s sharp criticism of Trump and Republicans comes as the US president grapples with the fallout from his war with Iran, which has sent gas prices soaring for Americans, adding to concerns about the cost of living ahead of the midterm elections.
