Obama’s Ohio, Michigan speeches: Key takeaways on Trump, Iran war, midterms

Former President Barack Obama has railed against the Trump administration on a range of issues, including dragging the United States into “an unnecessary war” against Iran, as he campaigned for Democrats in Ohio and Michigan ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Speaking at rallies on Saturday, Obama accused President Donald Trump of “chaos and corruption”, as he urged voters to reject Republicans.Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2Obama joins El-Sayed in Michigan rally cry before key midtermslist 2 of 2Obama slams Trump’s ‘cruelty and corruption’ as he rallies Democratsend of list The speeches came just 10 days before the elections, with Senate and gubernatorial races taking place in both states. Here are the key takeaways:Obama blames Trump’s Iran war for rising fuel prices “The current president chose to make a series of bad decisions,” Obama said in Cleveland, Ohio, where he rallied in support of former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. “Most importantly, he decided to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for,” Obama said. The former president defended the 2015 nuclear agreement reached under his administration, which restricted Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. “Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I had put a deal in place that everybody acknowledged kept them from getting nukes, and I didn’t have to fire a missile to do it. I just had to engage in diplomacy,” Obama said. “He pulled out of it, starts this war.” Obama blamed the conflict for rising oil and diesel prices, citing attacks on US military bases, American casualties and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. “Our allies and our bases have been attacked. Americans have been killed, hundreds of Americans have been wounded. We have run down our stock of missiles, and Iran now has veto power over the Strait of Hormuz where oil goes through to the world market,” he said. The disruptions in oil flow through the strait, located between Iran and Oman, have pushed up energy prices worldwide. Before the war, a fifth of global oil and gas passed through the strait, which Iran has used as leverage in the war. “This is the reason why the price of oil is up … This is the reason the price of diesel is up.” The spike in diesel and petrol prices will likely cost the Republican Party, as the majority of Americans hold Trump responsible for starting the war and the subsequent increase in prices. Obama also mocked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over his focus on military culture and the Pentagon’s plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. “These are not serious people,” Obama said.Tariffs are making life more expensive for Americans Obama criticised Trump’s tariffs, saying Americans were paying more for goods, including products made in the US using imported parts. “When you impose tariffs, consumers pay the tab,” he said. “It’s not just the goods that you use directly that have been imported … It’s also the car you build here in America. They might need a part from somewhere else, and now suddenly there’s a tariff on it.” He questioned Trump’s trade dispute with Canada, a major US trading partner. The two countries have been locked in a trade dispute, with Trump threatening 50 percent tariffs on Canadian vehicles and auto parts from January 2027. “And the big trade war he’s starting now is with that well-known evil empire Canada,” Obama said sarcastically. “Canadians are the nicest people … they’re like our friendly neighbours to the north, and he’s like picking a fight with them.” Obama also pointed to the growing US national debt, which has reached $40 trillion. “Instead of bringing down deficits like he said with these tariffs, we’re now running a debt to the tune of $40 trillion.” The figure refers to the total federal debt, which has accumulated over successive administrations, rather than the annual budget deficit.Charges of corruption and enriching the wealthy Obama accused the Trump administration of favouring wealthy Americans while common households struggled with rising costs. “After two years of chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence, the likes of which we have not seen in the modern era, you get a chance to say, ‘Enough is enough,'” Obama declared. “We are voting for change right here in Ohio.” He pointed to Trump’s 2025 tax and spending legislation, which extended tax cuts while reducing federal spending on programmes including Medicaid and food assistance. “The only bill they passed of any significance in the last two years was a trillion-dollar tax break that mostly benefitted the richest Americans,” he said. Obama also took aim at Trump’s White House renovations, including plans for a ballroom, changes to the Rose Garden and the addition of gold decorations. “He seems very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV,” Obama joked. “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory, just gold everywhere.”Obama condemns Trump’s immigration crackdown The former president said the US needed secure borders but criticised the methods used by immigration agents under the Trump administration. “I believe that we do need to make sure that our border is orderly and secure and that people who want to come here do so lawfully,” he said. “But I don’t recall anybody campaigning on sending masked agents running through our streets. I don’t recall anybody talking about law-abiding citizens being arrested, detained, or shot.” “That’s not what we have to do to get our borders under control,” he added.Obama attacks Ramaswamy over controversial Amy Acton