Washington, October 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former US President Barack Obama launched a broad attack on President Donald Trump over his administration’s war with Iran, tariff policies, immigration crackdown and alleged use of the presidency for personal gain during a campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio.
Speaking on Saturday at the Cleveland Public Auditorium, Obama urged voters to support Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is running for the US Senate. Brown introduced Obama at the rally.
Blaming the Trump administration’s policies for rising costs, Obama said the President had started “an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for”.
On the conflict with Iran, Obama contrasted the war with the nuclear agreement negotiated during his presidency, arguing that diplomacy had constrained Tehran’s nuclear programme without military action.
“Seven months on,” Obama said, US allies and military bases had been attacked, Americans had been killed and hundreds wounded, while the country’s missile stockpiles had been depleted. He also claimed Iran had gained veto power over the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.
Obama linked the conflict to rising oil and diesel prices, highlighting the economic consequences of the war. The Strait of Hormuz is a major shipping route for crude oil destined for Asian markets, including India.
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Turning to trade policy, Obama criticised Trump’s reliance on tariffs, saying consumers ultimately bear the cost. He argued that tariffs had contributed to rising prices and mocked the administration’s trade confrontation with Canada.
“The big trade war he’s starting now is with that well-known evil empire, Canada,” Obama said, drawing laughter from the audience. He added that Canada had given the United States “maple syrup and Martin Short”.
On immigration, Obama said the US border should be orderly and secure, with people entering the country through lawful channels. He recalled facing criticism from Democratic allies over enforcement measures during his own presidency.
However, he questioned the use of masked agents in immigration operations and criticised reports of law-abiding citizens being arrested, detained or shot.
Obama also took aim at Trump’s renovations at the White House, joking that the President should appear on HGTV, a home-improvement television network, because he was building a ballroom larger than the White House. He also mocked the extensive use of gold in the renovations.
The former President further accused Trump of using his office for personal benefit, citing a pardon granted to a Venezuelan billionaire and alleging that the President had profited through meme coins and taxpayer-funded contracts involving his children’s companies.
“We have never seen a President” who was a “straight-up grifter on your dime,” Obama said, criticising Republicans in Congress for failing to hold Trump accountable.
He singled out Ohio Senator Jon Husted, Brown’s Republican opponent, as he argued that Republican lawmakers had done little to check the President’s actions.
Obama described the November 3 midterm elections as a critical opportunity to constrain the administration.
“This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration. It’s the circuit breaker in the system. We need to flip that circuit breaker,” he said.
He also criticised Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over a campaign advertisement targeting Acton.
Following the Ohio rally, Obama travelled to Detroit to campaign for Democratic candidates in Michigan.
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