Obama attacks Trump over Iran war, tariffs and immigration at Ohio rally

• Barack Obama slams Donald Trump over the Iran war, tariffs and immigration policies, blaming them for rising living costs and regional instability

• Obama accuses Trump of using the presidency for personal gain and criticises Republicans for failing to hold his administration accountable

• Urging voters to act in the 3 November midterm elections, Obama campaigns for Democratic candidates Amy Acton and Sherrod Brown in Ohio

Former US president Barack Obama has criticised President Donald Trump over his administration’s war with Iran, trade tariffs and immigration policies, accusing the government of driving up living costs and using the presidency for personal gain.

Speaking at a rally in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, Obama urged voters to use the 3 November midterm elections to hold the Trump administration accountable, describing the polls as a crucial opportunity to curb what he called the administration’s excesses.

Obama appeared at the Cleveland Public Auditorium to campaign for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton and former Senator Sherrod Brown, who is running for the US Senate. Brown introduced the former president at the event.

“This administration’s actions are directly responsible for rising costs,” Obama said, accusing Trump of starting an unnecessary war that Americans had neither demanded nor voted for.

Obama sharply criticised the administration’s handling of the conflict with Iran, arguing that diplomacy could have prevented the escalation.

He pointed to the nuclear agreement negotiated during his presidency, saying it had restricted Iran’s nuclear programme without requiring military action.

“Iran didn’t have nuclear weapons because I 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 argued that the conflict had come at a significant cost to the United States, citing attacks on American allies and military bases, American casualties and injuries, and the depletion of missile stockpiles.

Obama also highlighted the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a major global oil shipping route, saying Iran’s ability to influence traffic through the waterway had become a serious concern.

“This is the reason why the price of oil is up,” he said, linking the conflict to higher oil and diesel prices.

The Strait of Hormuz is particularly important for Asian energy-importing countries, including India, which rely on the route for a substantial share of their crude oil supplies.

Obama also took aim at Trump’s tariff policies, arguing that import duties had contributed to rising consumer prices.

He said the president had repeatedly been warned that tariffs would increase costs for consumers but had continued to pursue the policy.

“In fact tariffs helped contribute to rising prices,” Obama said.

He also mocked the administration’s trade tensions with Canada, joking that the country was hardly an obvious adversary.

“And the big trade war he’s starting now is with that well-known evil empire, Canada,” Obama said, drawing laughter from the audience. He went on to reference Canadian cultural exports, including maple syrup and comedian Martin Short.

On immigration, Obama said he supported an orderly and secure border and the enforcement of immigration laws. However, he criticised the administration’s enforcement tactics, particularly reports of masked agents operating in public spaces and the detention of people he described as law-abiding citizens.

Obama recalled facing criticism from within his own party for tightening immigration enforcement during his presidency, but argued that the current administration had adopted a different approach.

“But I don’t recall anybody campaigning on sending masked agents running through our streets,” he said. “I don’t recall anybody talking about law-abiding citizens being arrested, detained, or shot.”

Obama also questioned Trump’s conduct in office, accusing him of using the presidency to benefit himself and his family.

He cited cryptocurrency ventures, taxpayer-funded contracts involving companies linked to the president’s children and a presidential pardon granted to a Venezuelan billionaire as examples of what he characterised as conflicts of interest.

“We have never seen a president … just straight-up grifter on your dime,” Obama said, criticising what he portrayed as the use of public office for private gain.

He also mocked renovations at the White House, joking that Trump should appear on the home-improvement television network HGTV because of his plans for a large ballroom and extensive gold decoration.

Obama further criticised Republicans in Congress for failing to hold the administration accountable. He singled out Ohio Senator Jon Husted, who is opposing Brown in the Senate race.

Framing the 3 November midterm elections as a turning point, Obama urged voters to support Democratic candidates in Ohio and beyond.

“This election is our last best chance to at least rein in some of the foolishness of this administration. It’s the circuit breaker in the system. We need to flip that circuit breaker,” he said.

He also criticised Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy over a campaign advertisement targeting Acton.

Following the Ohio rally, Obama travelled to Detroit to campaign for Democratic candidates in Michigan, continuing his efforts to support the party ahead of the midterm elections.

His remarks placed the Iran conflict, the cost of living, immigration enforcement and presidential accountability at the centre of the Democrats’ campaign message, as both parties prepare for a closely watched contest over control of Congress and key state offices.

With IANS inputs