Obama describes Trump as an agent of ‘chaos and cruelty’ in midterm elections pitch

Barack Obama made his first appearance of the midterm season on Saturday in Cleveland, using a speech to near-capacity Public Auditorium to cast Donald Trump as a source of "chaos and cruelty" who has not delivered on what he pledged. The event supported Democrats Amy Acton, running for Ohio governor, and Sherrod Brown, seeking his former Senate seat. Polls show both contests as toss-ups in a state that has trended Republican, according to NBC News.

Obama spent most of his 35 minutes on the president. He argued that voters angry about inflation after Covid were promised lower costs, yet tariffs and the war with Iran have pushed prices up. He joked that Trump seems preoccupied with ballroom construction and gold decor at the White House. He also took aim at Republican Vivek Ramaswamy for a TV spot in which Acton's estranged mother, Donna Arthur, calls her a liar. Ramaswamy's campaign told NBC News it plans a $4 million buy for the spot, which drew bipartisan criticism. Acton said her opponent was exploiting her childhood.

Spokespeople for Ramaswamy and Senator Jon Husted, Brown's opponent, answered by attacking the Democrats' ties to Obama. Trump will visit Chillicothe next week.

Summarized by PolitiKool from NBC News’s reporting. Read the full story at NBC News →