World News

Obama campaigns in Ohio and Michigan, criticizing Trump over Iran war

Former President Barack Obama rallied in Ohio and Michigan before the November 3 midterms, criticizing Trump over Iran, tariffs and debt.

Updated Oct 25, 2026 · 14:35 UTC9 reports

The short version

Former President Barack Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan on Saturday before the November 3 midterm elections.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Obama blamed the Trump administration's Iran war for higher oil and diesel prices, and criticized tariffs and national debt.[Al Jazeera]
In Ohio, Obama criticized Republican Vivek Ramaswamy over an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Trump and Vance have defended the ad, which Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has called for removing. In Michigan, Obama rallied for Abdul El-Sayed, who faces Republican Mike Rogers in a race a Marist poll shows is within the margin of error.[PBS NewsHour · The Guardian · NBC News · Al Jazeera]

Obama campaigned in Ohio and Michigan on Saturday before the November 3 midterm elections.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Obama blamed the Trump administration's war against Iran for rising oil and diesel prices.[Al Jazeera]
Obama criticized Trump's tariffs and cited a US national debt of $40 trillion.[Al Jazeera]
Obama criticized Ohio Republican Vivek Ramaswamy over an ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic rival Amy Acton.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Trump and Vance defended the Ramaswamy ad, while Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for its removal.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Obama rallied in Detroit for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson.[The Guardian · NBC News · Al Jazeera]
El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan's Senate race, and a Marist poll put El-Sayed at 50% and Rogers at 48%, within the margin of error.[The Guardian]
El-Sayed previously criticized Obama after his 2012 reelection for not following through on all progressive campaign promises.[PBS NewsHour · Associated Press]

Obama's attribution of rising oil and diesel prices to the Iran war is his own partisan claim, not an independently verified finding.[Al Jazeera]
Whether the Ramaswamy ad will be removed is unresolved, since Trump and Vance defended it while Ohio Republicans including DeWine called for its removal.[PBS NewsHour · Al Jazeera]
Black voter support figures are survey estimates, including a YouGov poll and a late September Fox News poll, and the Michigan Senate race is described as tightly contested.[NBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.