Obama describes Trump as an agent of ‘chaos and cruelty’ in midterm elections pitch

Former President Barack Obama characterized President Donald Trump as an agent of “chaos and cruelty” and a man of broken promises during a midterm election rally.

CLEVELAND — Former President Barack Obama, appearing here Saturday at his first campaign rally for this fall’s midterm elections, characterized President Donald Trump as an agent of “chaos and cruelty” and a man of broken promises. And in a particularly pointed criticism of his Republican successor, Obama mocked Trump’s ballroom construction and the gold accents he has added throughout the White House. “Does anybody really think this guy in the White House right now is spending all that time thinking about these issues?” Obama wondered. “I mean, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovations. He should be on HGTV.” Obama added a moment later: “He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” The crowd inside a near-capacity Public Auditorium, which holds more than 10,000, erupted with laughter at that and other quips Obama offered throughout his afternoon address.

The former president’s visit was aimed at boosting two Democrats: Amy Acton, the party’s nominee for governor, and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has mounted a comeback bid for his old job. Ohio, which has become more reliably Republican since Trump’s rise in politics, has emerged as an intense battleground this year. Polls show both races are toss-ups, with Democrats especially hopeful of winning the governorship for the first time