‘He’s a force’: Obama answers call to boost Democrats – and rattle Trump

With the midterm elections days away and control of Congress at stake for the rest of Donald Trump's second term, Democrats have sent Barack Obama onto the trail for a late run of sharp speeches. The former president, who stayed relatively low-profile until recent weeks, is now appearing in contested races, with the party betting his draw can lift turnout, particularly among young and Black voters, according to former Obama speechwriter David Litt, according to The Guardian.

At rallies in Detroit, Atlanta and Cleveland, Obama has ridiculed Trump's authoritarian streak and his foreign policy missteps in the Middle East. In Georgia he described the vote as a chance to rein in the administration, calling it a circuit-breaker. In Detroit, while backing Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, he joked about their past policy disagreements by noting that his wife, Michelle Obama, also disagrees with him often.

His remark in Cleveland likening Trump's gilded White House redecoration to a Cheesecake Factory run by Saddam Hussein drew an angry response. Trump mocked Obama as fussy about his food, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posed outside one of the restaurants. Obama said the reaction showed Republicans lack answers on inflation. Litt said Trump remains preoccupied with his predecessor.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →