Obama Blames Trump for Rising Costs at Campaign Rallies

Barack Obama used campaign rallies in Ohio and Michigan on October 24 to criticize President Donald Trump’s handling of the economy and the Iran war, arguing that Trump’s decisions were driving up costs. Obama campaigned for Democratic candidates ahead of the November 3 midterm elections and urged voters to support them. At a rally in Cleveland for Ohio Senate nominee Sherrod Brown and gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton, Obama said Trump had made a series of bad decisions, including starting what he called an unnecessary war. He argued that the administration’s actions were directly responsible for rising costs, a claim the reports establish as Obama’s campaign argument rather than an independently verified finding. Obama described Trump’s second term as marked by chaos, cruelty, corruption and incompetence, and said voters had an opportunity to choose change. He also criticized the president’s focus on White House renovations, including the planned ballroom and changes to the building’s decor, as a contrast with attention to household expenses. Obama separately attacked Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy over a campaign advertisement featuring Acton’s mother. Obama...