The former president of the United States Barack Obama returned this Saturday, October 24, to the forefront of the U.S. electoral campaign with two rallies in Ohio and Michigan, where he launched harsh criticisms against President Donald Trump and his Administration. Just over a week before the midterm elections, scheduled for November 3, the former Democratic leader accused the Republican government of acting with "cruelty, corruption, and incompetence" and of failing to keep its economic promises. However, one of the most commented moments of his speech came when he joked about the White House renovations, comparing its decor to a peculiar mix between the palaces of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and the restaurants of the American chain The Cheesecake Factory.
"He has the White House as if Saddam Hussein had opened a Cheesecake Factory", Obama stated amid the laughter and applause of attendees at his first rally, held in Cleveland (Ohio). The former president questioned why Trump dedicates so much attention to the renovations of the presidential residence, including the construction of a new ballroom, while Americans face rising prices of basic goods and gasoline. The speech is part of the Democratic offensive to try to regain control of Congress and limit the Republican president's ability to act during the last two years of his term.
Obama compares Trump's renovations to a luxury restaurant of Saddam Hussein
The comparison with Saddam Hussein and The Cheesecake Factory has become one of the most striking phrases of Obama's return to electoral rallies. The former president has used humor to question Trump's priorities, criticizing the changes made to the presidential residence since the beginning of his second term.
During his speech, Obama listed some of the reforms pushed by the Republican president, such as the construction of a ballroom, modifications to the rose garden, and the abundance of golden decorative elements in various areas of the White House.
The former president has also suggested that Trump would be more interested in appearing on a domestic reform program than in solving the country's economic problems. To this end, he mentioned HGTV, a well-known American television network specializing in decoration, architecture, and home remodeling.
The reference to The Cheesecake Factory has not been casual either. It is a popular American restaurant chain known for its elaborate decor and extensive menus, with hundreds of different dishes. Obama has combined that image with the ostentation that characterized the palaces of Saddam Hussein to ridicule the use of gold and the ornamental style of the reforms promoted by Trump.
With this comparison, the former president has sought to convey a political critique: while the Republican Administration dedicates resources and attention to the presidential facilities, citizens continue to face difficulties related to the cost of living.
Obama accuses Trump of causing price increases and an "unnecessary" war in Iran
Beyond the jokes about the White House, Obama has directly blamed the Trump Administration for the rise in gasoline prices and other basic products, especially due to the economic consequences of the war against Iran.
The former president has maintained that the decisions made by the Republican Administration have contributed to increasing costs for American families. Specifically, he has questioned the military intervention against Iran, which he has described as "unnecessary", and has asserted that citizens did not vote for Trump to involve the country in a new military conflict.
He has also criticized the economic policy of the current president, including trade tariffs and certain fiscal measures, considering that their consequences ultimately harm workers. Obama has also directed his criticisms against the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, whom he has ridiculed for his concern about the physical appearance and body standards of American soldiers.
The former president has presented the elections on November 3 as an opportunity for citizens to express their rejection of the Republican administration after almost two years in office. In his speech, he insisted that Americans can use the ballot box to establish an institutional counterweight against Trump, even though he continues to occupy the White House until January 2029.
Ohio, first stop to support Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown
The first rally of Obama was held in Cleveland, in the state of Ohio, where he shared the stage with two Democratic candidates who aspire to regain positions currently held by Republicans.
On one hand, he has endorsed Amy Acton, candidate for Governor against the Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. On the other hand, he has asked for votes for Sherrod Brown, former Democratic senator who seeks to return to the Senate by defeating the current Republican senator Jon Husted.
During the event, Obama particularly criticized Ramaswamy for an advertisement in which Acton's mother appears, with whom the candidate has maintained a distant relationship for decades. The ad has generated criticism for using aspects of the Democratic candidate's family history, who has publicly denounced episodes of abuse and neglect during her childhood.
The former president has questioned the ethical limits of this type of electoral strategy and has defended the need to restore political behavior standards that, in his opinion, have deteriorated in recent years.
Ohio is one of the states that Democrats consider important for their aspirations to regain institutional representation, after the territory has consolidated a trend favorable to the Republican Party in the last presidential elections.
Obama supports Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan against Trump's attacks
After the Cleveland rally, Obama traveled to Detroit, in Michigan, where he participated in a second electoral event to support Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for the Senate who faces the Republican Mike Rogers.
El-Sayed, a doctor and former public health official, is the son of Egyptian immigrants and practices the Muslim religion. His candidacy has been the subject of attacks by Trump and Republican sectors, who have attributed alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood, accusations that the Democratic candidate has rejected and that have not been substantiated.
Obama has come out in defense of El-Sayed and has recalled the disinformation campaigns about his own identity and religion that he suffered during his political career. With this, the former president has established a parallelism between the attacks directed against the current candidate and the accusations that circulated about him during his presidential campaigns.
The Michigan candidate has claimed, for his part, the political legacy of Obama, although in the past he had criticized some of his measures for considering them insufficiently progressive. During the event, both defended the need to expand access to healthcare and to direct public spending towards the needs of citizens.
The support of the former president also has an electoral component. Michigan is a decisive state for the composition of the Senate, and El-Sayed's candidacy is immersed in a very tight contest against Rogers. The mobilization of the African American electorate and other communities will be one of the relevant elements of the electoral day.
The elections on November 3 will test Republican control of Congress
The return of Barack Obama to the Democratic campaign occurs in the final stretch of the midterm elections, known as midterms, which will be held next Tuesday, November 3.
In this electoral appointment, the entirety of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives and approximately one third of the Senate will be renewed, in addition to numerous governorships and state and local positions.
The Republican Party faces the elections with control of both chambers of Congress, while the Democrats seek to regain parliamentary majorities that allow them to exercise greater control over the decisions of the Trump Administration.
The importance of these elections lies in that a change in the legislative majorities could modify the president's ability to push forward his initiatives, especially in budgetary, fiscal, and domestic policy matters. It could also strengthen parliamentary oversight over the actions of the Executive.
Obama, who governed the United States between 2009 and 2017, maintains a prominent presence in the campaigns of the Democratic Party and has once again become one of its main references to mobilize voters.
His return to the rallies has combined criticism of Trump's economic and foreign policy, denunciations of Republican behavior, and ironic comments on the White House reforms.
The comparison with Saddam Hussein and The Cheesecake Factory summarizes the tone chosen by the former president for this final stretch of the campaign: to use humor to question Trump's priorities while asking voters for a response at the polls on November 3.