Obama slams Trump’s ‘cruelty and corruption’ at Ohio rally for Democrats

What the report says

Former US President Barack Obama campaigned in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday at a rally for Democratic candidates, using the appearance to sharply criticize President Donald Trump’s second term and the Republican administration’s direction. According to Al Jazeera, Obama accused Trump of “cruelty and corruption” and said the president had made “a series of bad decisions,” including what he described as an unnecessary war, a reference to the US-Israel war on Iran.

Obama urged Ohio voters to reject Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm contests, arguing that the country had seen two years of “chaos” and poor governance. The rally focused in part on Ohio’s closely watched state races, where Democrats are trying to gain ground in what is expected to be a competitive election.

The former president also weighed in on a heated gubernatorial race involving Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton. He criticized an attack ad targeting Acton and praised her for publicly discussing a difficult childhood. Acton has said she experienced abuse, neglect and homelessness, while her family has disputed parts of that account. Al Jazeera reported that Obama appeared onstage with Acton and former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown, who is seeking to return to the Senate against incumbent Republican Jon Husted.