Barack Obama ripped into the "cruelty" and "indecency" of President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, diving headfirst into one of the ugliest midterm battles in recent history while rallying Democratic voters in Ohio.
He specifically targeted Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has ramped up an advertising blitz featuring the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Dr. Amy Acton. Despite calls for its removal from Republican leaders like Gov. Mike DeWine, Trump and Vice President JD Vance defended the ad.
“In recent days, we’ve seen there is no line he will not cross, no low he will not sink to,” Obama stated, highlighting Acton’s traumatic past of abuse, neglect, and homelessness.
“There’s a decency we should expect out of our public officials,” he added. “And I don’t know what’s happened where the standards of behavior are so low that somebody could run an ad like that.”
At 65, Obama remains a powerhouse for the Democratic Party nearly a decade after leaving office. He was set to campaign in Michigan later that night, lending his star power to crucial midwestern battlegrounds that will shape the political landscape.
On stage with Acton and former Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted, Obama emphasized the stakes in Ohio, a state that has leaned Republican but remains fiercely contested this election cycle.
Trump and Vance have both made recent appearances in Ohio to rally support for Husted and Ramaswamy, intensifying the already heated atmosphere surrounding Ramaswamy’s controversial ad.
Ramaswamy defended his ad as fair game. Trump echoed this sentiment, calling it a national flashpoint as he voted in West Palm Beach. “This is a disgrace,” Trump declared. “The mother said that Amy Acton is a liar and she’s no good. And you know what? I don’t think you can get a better reference on that.”
The campaign video features Acton’s birth mother, Donna Arthur, labeling her “a liar” and suggesting mental health issues.
Acton, who served as Ohio’s health director during the COVID-19 pandemic, has openly discussed her childhood struggles with homelessness and abuse. Arthur lost custody of her children after her husband was indicted for rape involving Acton.
The abuse reportedly occurred between December 1976 and April 1978. Cledith Arthur became a fugitive after failing to appear in court. Donna Arthur remained married to him until his death in 2004.
Addressing Ramaswamy directly, Acton stated, “My opponent has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his stumbling campaign, but it’s not going to work. Decency still matters.” She continued, “Mr. Ramaswamy, you are not just out of touch; you are out for yourself and you are a danger to my state. Apparently there is no low to which you won’t stoop.”
After Ohio, Obama headed to Detroit for a rally supporting Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official uniting the Democratic base after a narrow primary victory. El-Sayed faces former Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican.
Obama’s presence in predominantly Black Detroit could enhance support for El-Sayed among Black voters. In the primary, his opponent Haley Stevens won Wayne County by about 6 percentage points. Former Vice President Kamala Harris previously campaigned for El-Sayed.
El-Sayed has criticized Obama post-2012 reelection for not fulfilling all progressive promises but acknowledged Obama as “foundational” to his political aspirations while expressing disagreements with aspects of his presidency.
Michigan also features open races for governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic nominee for governor, is set to appear alongside other candidates down the ballot against Republican Rep. John James.
Next week, Obama will headline a rally in Georgia with Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. Trump is also scheduled to speak in Georgia.
In Ohio, Obama criticized Trump’s failure to lower costs—a key campaign promise—pointing out that Trump has focused on renovating the White House instead. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovation,” Obama quipped. “He should be on HGTV.” He added: “There’s gold everywhere. He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
Obama acknowledged that Trump remains in power for another two years but emphasized that voters are not stuck with Trump’s allies. “We’re not stuck with a spineless Congress and Republican governors who are handling lawlessness and carelessness and cruelty and indifference for working people,” he stated. “After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence … you get a chance to say enough is enough.”
