Barack Obama and Ohio Democrats campaign against Trump in Cleveland
- President Donald Trump has won Ohio three times, including by an 11-point margin two years ago, creating a long-standing hesitation among state Democrats fearful of alienating his base.
- Thousands of supporters filled Cleveland’s Public Auditorium for the event.
- Obama took a much more direct approach against the former president, criticizing his administration for economic policies and broken promises on foreign wars and the cost of living.
President Donald Trump has won Ohio three times, including by an 11-point margin two years ago, creating a long-standing hesitation among state Democrats fearful of alienating his base. That dynamic shifted on Saturday, when Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, Senate candidate Sherrod Brown, and former President Barack Obama took the stage at a packed Cleveland rally to campaign openly against Trump and his Republican allies, signalohio.org reported.
Ohio Democrats Drop Distance Strategy at Cleveland Rally
Thousands of supporters filled Cleveland’s Public Auditorium for the event. The venue holds about 10,000 people. During his 20-minute speech, Brown targeted his opponent, Republican Sen. Jon Husted, by listing what he described as three corrupt billionaires financially propping up the campaign: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and Donald Trump.
The crowd responded with loud jeers and chants to lock him up. Brown mentioned Trump only once during his remarks, marking a distinct departure from his 2018 midterm strategy of casting himself as pragmatic enough to work with the administration.
Obama took a much more direct approach against the former president, criticizing his administration for economic policies and broken promises on foreign wars and the cost of living. That is not the case here. In this case, this administration’s actions are directly responsible for rising costs,
Obama said at the rally. He also joked that Husted and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have avoided appearing with Trump in television commercials despite making appearances alongside him during campaign stops.
Ramaswamy's Ad Attacks Acton's Childhood Abuse
Acton focused her speech on affordability and addressed a recent negative campaign ad released by Ramaswamy. The advertisement features Acton’s mother, Donna Arthur, who states in the spot that Acton lied about her childhood, including a claim that she lived in a tent. Acton and her mother have not spoken since 1978, following charges against Acton’s then-stepfather for rape, a prosecution that was dropped after Arthur and the defendant moved away. Acton told the rally crowd that her opponent had chosen to intentionally exploit her childhood abuse and neglect. Ramaswamy has defended the ad, stating it questions the tent claim rather than the abuse.
Republican candidates responded sharply to the Democratic event. Ramaswamy campaign spokesperson Connie Luck criticized Acton’s past support for the Affordable Care Act. Husted campaign spokeswoman Amy Natoce warned that the joint appearance by Brown and Obama would bring higher taxes and open borders. Meanwhile, the Ohio Republican Party launched a statewide bus tour, featuring stops in the Cleveland area and Central Ohio. State party leaders remain confident that grassroots turnout among Trump supporters will secure a Republican victory.
Shifting Polls and Upcoming Campaign Stops
Recent polling indicates competitive races across Ohio for the U.S. Senate, governor’s office, and multiple congressional districts long held by Republicans. This tightening margin has convinced national and state Democrats that the state is competitive once again, contrasting sharply with past election cycles where candidates like Tim Ryan in 2022 and Brown in his 2024 re-election bid distanced themselves from national party figures. The national media’s never gonna write off Ohio ever again,
Brown said during the rally.
Republican candidates continue to lean heavily on Trump’s popularity in the final stretch of the campaign, with Trump scheduled to return to Ohio for another campaign stop. State party officials stress that activating the local voter base remains their primary path to victory ahead of the general election on Nov. 3.