Obama Campaigns for Democrats, Calls Trump Era ‘Lawless and Reckless’

Former President Barack Obama hit the campaign trail on Saturday to rally support for Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, urging voters to reject what he described as the “lawlessness and recklessness” of the Trump administration.

Speaking first at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, in support of Abigail Spanberger, Obama delivered a sharp critique of President Donald Trump, accusing the White House of creating a “pretty dark” political climate.

“Let’s face it, our country and our policy are in a pretty dark place right now,” Obama told the cheering crowd. “Every day this White House offers people a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness.”

Obama denounced Trump’s tariff strategy as “shambolic” and condemned the deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities. He also faulted Republicans in Congress for refusing to hold Trump accountable “even when they know he’s out of line.”

The former president criticized corporate and academic leaders as well, saying he was taken aback by how quickly many had “bent the knee” to appease Trump.

Later in Newark, New Jersey, where he campaigned for Democrat Mikie Sherrill, Obama kept up the attack, joking that “every day is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and no treats.”

He also used sarcasm to mock Trump’s priorities during the ongoing federal shutdown, referencing reported plans to redesign parts of the White House. “In fairness, he has been focused on some critical issues,” Obama quipped, “like paving over the Rose Garden so folks don’t get mud on their shoes, and building a $300 million ballroom.”

Polls currently show Spanberger, 46, a former CIA officer and six-year congresswoman, holding a strong lead over Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, 61. In New Jersey, most surveys give Sherrill a narrow edge over Republican Jack Ciatterelli, 63, a former state assemblyman now making his third attempt at the governorship.

Republicans remain optimistic in New Jersey, citing recent close statewide races. Despite Democrats holding a 2-to-1 voter registration advantage, Ciatterelli lost the 2021 governor’s race by just three points, and Trump trailed President Biden by only six points in the 2024 election.