Obama received a standing ovation when he took the stage at the rallies of two candidates in midterm elections considered decisive in 2026
SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – Former President of the United States Barack Obama (2009-2017) joined the Democratic Party campaign on the eve of the country’s state elections and, this Saturday (1st), criticized the current president, Donald Trump, for policies that he classified as chaotic.
The most important member of the party today, Obama received a standing ovation when he took the stage at the rallies of two candidates in midterm elections considered decisive in 2026: former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, in Virginia, and current Democratic congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, in New Jersey. Before that, he had been keeping a low profile.
Analysts and politicians expect the next elections to influence the 2026 disputes. In the mid-term legislative elections, majorities in Congress will be at stake – a factor that can directly impact the advancement or blocking of Trump administration policies.
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“Let’s face it: Our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now. It’s hard to know where to start, because every day the White House gives people a new dose of lawlessness, recklessness, pettiness and just plain madness,” he told a crowd of Spanberger supporters at Old Dominion University in Norfolk.
The former president also criticized the import taxes that Trump imposed on several countries. “Costs have not decreased for ordinary families, but have increased, thanks to this disastrous tariff policy,” he said.
Already in Newark, New Jersey, to support Sherrill, he mocked the reforms at the White House. “To be fair, he has been focusing on some critical issues, like paving the Rose Garden so people don’t get mud on their shoes and building a $300 million ballroom,” he said.
Polls show Spanberger, 46, with a considerable lead over the Republican candidate, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, 61, while Sherrill has a single-digit lead over Republican Jack Ciatterelli, 63, who ran for the third consecutive time for governor – in 2021, he lost the race by three percentage points.
The elections take place next Tuesday (4). On the same day, New York City residents will go to the polls to choose their next mayor. The favorite so far is Democrat Zohran Mamdani, 34, a young Muslim and socialist state representative from Queens.
Recently, he was sponsored by Obama – on Saturday (1st), the former president called Mamdani, praised his supporter’s campaign and offered to be his advisor in the future, if he wins the election. Born in Uganda, the young man appears well ahead of his main competitor, former governor Andrew Cuomo, in the electoral polls.
