Entekhab.ir: The New York Times wrote that the 44th President of the United States appeared in Ohio on Saturday and kicked off his campaign in two states with sharp criticism of Donald Trump and Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.

According to Entekhab, the report continues: Former US President Barack Obama launched a fierce and mocking attack on Donald Trump's administration on Saturday, stating that the government is run with "incompetence unlike anything we have seen in modern times."

Obama delivered his remarks at his first midterm election rally in Cleveland, Ohio, marking his harshest attack on Trump in recent months. He also criticized a campaign ad by Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, calling it an example of the degradation of American politics.

Obama, who has typically been cautious in publicly criticizing Trump, lambasted his Republican successor in the White House with a personal and blunt tone. He stated that Trump's second presidential term has turned into "two years of chaos, cruelty, and corruption," dismissed senior members of his administration as "unserious" people, and said Trump dragged the US into a war with Iran that has been economically costly and which "no one wanted."

Obama said: "As a former president, I can tell you that sometimes factors beyond a president's control cause even the best-laid plans to fall short."

But he added: "That is not what happened here. In this case, this administration's actions are directly responsible for driving up costs."

Using phrases like "you-know-who" or "this guy in the White House" to refer to Trump, Obama said the US has never had a president who "is so skilled at blatant swindling."

He also described Trump as detached from the realities of life and the needs of the American people, preoccupied with White House renovation projects instead of addressing their problems.

Mocking Trump's focus on using gold decor in the White House, Obama said: "He should be hosting a show on HGTV."

HGTV is a television network that broadcasts programs about homes, interior design, and building renovations.

Obama continued: "He's made the White House look like Saddam Hussein opened a franchise of the Cheesecake Factory; everything is gold."

Obama's appearance, with another rally scheduled later in the day in Detroit, sets the stage for a rare and simultaneous showdown between him and Trump. Trump is also scheduled to participate in a campaign rally in Georgia on Saturday evening, and recently called Obama a "corrupt and bad president" in one of his speeches.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Obama's speech.

In Ohio, Obama appeared alongside Dr. Amy Acton, the Democratic candidate for governor of the state, and Sherrod Brown, former senator and the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat from Ohio.

Dr. Amy Acton, Barack Obama, and Sherrod Brown holding hands at a campaign event.

Acton's campaign has become a major topic in US national politics in recent days, after her Republican rival, Ramaswamy, released a campaign ad featuring Acton's mother.

Acton says she has not spoken to her mother since she was 12 years old, after her stepfather was accused of sexually assaulting her. The release of the ad has caused divisions among Republicans.

Obama strongly criticized Ramaswamy for releasing the ad, stating that there seems to be no "red line" Ramaswamy is unwilling to cross.

The former US president said: "We have got to expect a baseline of decency from our elected officials. I don't know what happened to lower the standards of behavior so much that someone could put out an ad like that."

Acton also reacted to the ad, saying that Ramaswamy targeted her family history to "rescue his flailing campaign."

She added: "It won't work, because empathy and decency still matter."

Obama and Trump are delivering starkly contrasting messages to voters in the final days leading up to the midterm elections, in which the two parties are locked in an intense battle for control of Congress and state legislatures.

Trump, scheduled to speak on Saturday night in Perry, Georgia, has emphasized the message that Democrats are dangerous extremists. He has urged voters to imagine that he is also on the ballot, a move aimed at mobilizing the Republican base.

However, polls show that Trump's approval ratings have dropped sharply and Republicans are on the defensive due to rising prices.

At a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump falsely labeled Democrats as communists, stating that voting for Republicans means having "more money in your pockets, more pay for your families, lower taxes," and less crime.

The former and current US presidents have recently exchanged public criticisms, though Trump's attacks have generally been more frequent, severe, and direct.

Trump has repeatedly criticized Obama.

Obama described the US president with a sharp and mocking tone.

Trump, who succeeded Obama in the White House in 2017, promoted a baseless and racist conspiracy theory for years claiming that Obama was not born in the US.

Obama has been cautious in publicly criticizing Trump and naming him directly, though he has recently expressed opposition regarding Trump's approach to artificial intelligence, among other issues.

Obama has been deeply involved in the midterms, recording dozens of campaign ads for Democratic candidates. However, prior to Saturday, his on-the-ground campaign appearances were limited, participating only in lighter campaign events alongside James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the Texas state senate, this spring.

Over the weekend, Obama also endorsed two Democratic candidates in Florida: David Jolly, the Democratic candidate for governor of the state, and Angie Nixon, the progressive Democratic candidate for the state senate who, if victorious, would become Florida's first Black senator.

Obama was the last Democratic presidential nominee to win the state of Ohio in a presidential election. The state was once a bellwether for American battlegrounds, but in recent years has steadily leaned toward Republicans.

However, Democrats have grown more optimistic about their chances in Ohio's midterms as the state's economy, heavily reliant on the agricultural sector, has suffered under the fallout of the Iran war and Trump's tariff policies.

Obama was scheduled to travel next to Detroit to participate in a campaign rally for Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, the leading progressive Democratic candidate in the high-stakes Michigan state senate race.

El-Sayed is working to further mobilize Black voter turnout. Republicans view his race against former Republican US Representative Mike Rogers as their best opportunity to flip a Senate seat.

Trump is scheduled to speak in Georgia on Saturday evening, a state Obama plans to visit later in the week. Trump is also scheduled to travel to Michigan on Sunday.

In recent remarks, Trump directly referenced Obama's trip to Michigan, reminding audiences that he won the state in the 2016 and 2024 elections.

Obama has criticized Trump's policies in recent weeks as well, though his tone was not as sharp as Saturday's remarks.

Last month, Obama publicly criticized Trump's approach to artificial intelligence for the first time, warning that the technology could have "a profound impact on our health and security."

Speaking at an event in upstate New York, Obama said: "There is no substitute for an effective government regulatory structure."

He added: "Our challenge is that, as you know, the current president has said that kind of thing is for losers."

Source: Entekhab