Obama Hits the Campaign Trail Ahead of the Midterms: Corruption Charges Against Trump and Mockery of the White House Makeover
With just 10 days left before the midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress, former President Barack Obama has jumped into the campaign. Taking the stage, he accused Republican President Donald Trump of corruption, sharply criticised Trump's strategy on Iran, and mocked the lavish style of Trump's White House renovation work.
On Saturday night Obama spoke at rallies held for Democratic candidates in Cleveland and Detroit. Campaigning in Michigan for US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, he described the November 3 vote as a 'circuit breaker' that would help at least rein in 'some of the foolish actions' of Trump's presidency.
Addressing the rally, Obama said, "We need to flip that circuit breaker so that some accountability can be brought to this government's work." His remarks are seen as injecting fresh energy into the Democratic camp ahead of the vote.
Barack Obama, who served as president from 2009 until Trump's first term began in 2017, remains one of the most popular figures among Democrats. The party hopes that bringing him into the campaign will energise its supporters, which could prove helpful in the closely fought battle for the US Senate.
In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed is running against Republican candidate and former US Representative Mike Rogers. As the outcome of this seat could play an important role in determining the balance of power in the Senate, both camps have thrown their full strength behind it.
The former president's remarks in Michigan echoed the Democrats' regular line of criticism, in which Republicans are attacked alongside Trump because they march in step with him.
Obama said, "We have never seen a president become so skilled at outright fraud with the public's money. We have never seen such an intent in a president to sell favours. Now the party (the Republicans) seems to stand for a corrupt government, an incompetent government, or no government at all."
Public opinion also reflects this criticism. An August Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 63 percent of Americans believe the president and his family have improperly profited from cryptocurrency since returning to the White House last year, while 69 percent believe Trump's policy decisions are influenced by his personal business dealings.
Obama also ridiculed the Trump administration's claims of victory over Iran. He argued that the war has given Iran greater economic advantage, because the threat of attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has unsettled oil exporters. In other words, contrary to Washington's claims, the war has strengthened Iran's hand, in his view.
The former president also took aim at the White House renovation work, attacking Trump's flamboyant and grandiose style in mocking terms, remarks that drew laughter at the rally while also carrying a political message.
As election day draws closer, the campaigning of both camps is intensifying. Democrats are trying to turn out their voters by putting popular faces like Obama front and centre, while Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress.
The campaigning of the next 10 days will ultimately determine how much impact Obama's fierce attack has on the result. If he holds more rallies in the closely contested Senate seats, observers believe the contest will heat up even further.
