Barack Obama and Donald Trump clashed over the Iran war, inflation, tariffs and White House renovations during rallies in Georgia and Ohio ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections. Trump also backed Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio’s gubernatorial race.
Former US President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump intensified their political exchanges during competing campaign rallies in Georgia and Ohio, respectively, as the United States approached the November 3 midterm elections. The rallies highlighted sharp disagreements over the Iran war, rising living costs, trade tariffs and White House renovations, with both leaders seeking to influence voters in crucial electoral contests.
Obama campaigned in the Atlanta area on Wednesday alongside Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, who is seeking re-election, and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. He criticised Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict, arguing that the military campaign had contributed to rising fuel prices and increased financial pressure on American households.
“The current president chose to start an unnecessary war that nobody asked for and nobody voted for,” Obama said, according to remarks released by his office.
He argued that higher oil and diesel prices were affecting the broader economy and questioned the administration’s assurances that the conflict would end quickly.
“Contrary to the promises and statements and declarations that were made seven months ago, this war is not over,” Obama said, warning that Americans might not receive economic relief soon.
The former president also criticised Trump’s trade policies, particularly the escalating trade dispute with Canada. Using humour, Obama described Canada as an unlikely adversary and questioned the administration’s approach towards a longstanding US neighbour.
He argued that tariffs were contributing to higher consumer costs rather than delivering the economic benefits promised by the administration. Obama also returned to his criticism of Trump’s White House renovation plans, joking that the government had responded more aggressively to his remarks about the renovations than to the problem of inflation.
Obama urged Georgia voters to cast their ballots before the early-voting deadline, presenting the upcoming election as an opportunity to challenge the administration’s policies.
Meanwhile, Trump addressed supporters in Chillicothe, Ohio, at a rally supporting Republican Senator Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American entrepreneur seeking to become Ohio’s governor.
Trump responded to Obama’s criticism of the White House renovations, defending the work and claiming that he had paid for the improvements himself. He argued that repairs and upgrades were necessary to maintain the presidential residence.
The president also mocked Obama’s record of campaigning for Democratic candidates, referring to his involvement in Hillary Clinton’s and Kamala Harris’s unsuccessful presidential campaigns.
On foreign policy, Trump attacked the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement negotiated during Obama’s presidency. He described the deal as one of the worst agreements he had seen, maintaining that it failed to adequately address concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Trump also defended Ramaswamy over a controversial campaign advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton. The advertisement included criticism of Acton, prompting questions about its content and the circumstances surrounding the family’s estrangement.
Trump argued that Ramaswamy should not be held responsible for the mother’s statements. However, reporting on the advertisement noted that the mother did not explicitly state in the video that Acton had lied about Ramaswamy. The controversy has added another contentious issue to Ohio’s closely watched gubernatorial contest.
The competing rallies came as national polling indicated a challenging political environment for Republicans. An NPR/PBS News/Marist poll conducted on October 19–20 reportedly gave Democrats a 52 per cent to 44 per cent advantage among likely voters on the generic congressional ballot. A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll conducted on October 24–26 placed the parties at 52 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively, while reporting Trump’s approval rating at 39 per cent.
The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress for the following two years and influence the administration’s ability to advance its legislative agenda. Competitive Senate, House and gubernatorial contests have made the final days of campaigning particularly significant.
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Several Indian-American candidates are also seeking electoral victories. Besides Ramaswamy’s Ohio gubernatorial campaign, Indian-American members of the US House, including Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera, Shri Thanedar and Suhas Subramanyam, are seeking re-election. Nithya Raman is running for mayor of Los Angeles, while Saritha Komatireddy is the Republican nominee for New York attorney general.
With election day approaching, the exchanges between Obama and Trump have underscored the competing arguments over economic management, foreign policy and leadership that are shaping the final stretch of the 2026 US midterm campaign.
