Barack Obama campaigns for Georgia Democrats and brushes off Trump attacks

Former US President Barack Obama campaigned in Georgia on Wednesday evening, ridiculing Donald Trump and his administration for focusing on political squabbles rather than the economic struggles facing everyday Americans.

Addressing a crowd of between 3,500 and 4,000 supporters at the Discovery Center of Clayton County, south of Atlanta, Obama made a closing pitch for Democrats in the final stretch before the midterm elections. He specifically mocked the White House's intense reaction to a remark he made over the weekend, when he quipped that Trump's gilded renovations had left the executive mansion resembling a Cheesecake Factory opened by Saddam Hussein.

Obama noted that the administration had reacted strongly to the dining reference, pointing out that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had even eaten at the restaurant chain and spoken with media outside. Obama argued that officials seemed to organize a vast government response around a joke rather than directing their energies toward tackling rising prices. He also brushed off allegations of elitism, noting that as a father of two, he had visited the restaurant chain frequently while raising his daughters.

Shifting to policy matters, Obama accused Trump of using the presidency to enrich himself, characterizing the current administration as uniquely focused on selling influence.

The rally served as a key midterm push for US Senator Jon Ossoff and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is running for governor, along with other Democratic candidates. Ossoff sharply criticized Trump during the event, calling the current administration deeply corrupt and warning that officials involved in wrongdoing would be held accountable under oath if Democrats win control of Congress.

Bottoms took aim at her gubernatorial rival, healthcare executive Rick Jackson, linking him directly to Trump and describing both men as wealthy figures disconnected from ordinary citizens. Bottoms is in a statistical tie with Jackson in polling, aiming to overturn two decades of unified Republican control across Georgia's state government. In contrast, Ossoff holds a lead of eight to ten points in surveys against his Republican challenger, US Representative Mike Collins.

Senator Raphael Warnock also spoke at the gathering, voicing deep concern over the moral state of the country and highlighting reductions to programs like Medicaid and food assistance for children.

Trump, who was holding a competing event in Ohio on Wednesday, defended his White House upgrades as superior and accused Obama of failing to appreciate proper upkeep. The former president has been traveling actively in the campaign's closing days, including recent visits to conservative congressional areas in Georgia.