CLEVELAND — Stepping into the final stretch of one of the nation’s most contentious midterm cycles, former President Barack Obama delivered a scathing indictment of what he characterized as a “new low” in American political conduct during a rally in Ohio on Saturday. Speaking to a crowded Cleveland Public Auditorium on October 24, 2026, Obama focused much of his criticism on Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, whose campaign has drawn national fire for an advertisement featuring the estranged mother of his Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton.
The former president, who remains the Democratic Party’s most prominent surrogate nearly a decade after his departure from the White House, stood alongside Acton and Senator Sherrod Brown to frame the upcoming election as a test of basic human decency. The controversy centers on an ad featuring Donna Arthur, Acton’s birth mother, who uses the platform to label the candidate a “liar” and question her mental health.
“In recent days, we’ve seen there is no line he will not cross, no low he will not sink to,” Obama told the crowd. He noted that Acton has been remarkably transparent about a childhood defined by traumatic experiences including abuse, neglect, and homelessness. “There’s a decency we should expect out of our public officials. And I don’t know what’s happened where the standards of behavior are so low that somebody could run an ad like that.”
Acton, a former health director who rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided a somber counter-narrative to the campaign ad during her own remarks. She explained that she was removed from her mother’s custody as a child and has not seen her since she was 12 years old, following a final encounter in a courthouse. The historical record of the family’s split is harrowing; Acton’s stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was indicted on a charge of rape involving Acton. The abuse allegedly occurred between December 1976 and April 1978. Following the indictment, Cledith Arthur fled the jurisdiction and remained a fugitive for years, while Donna Arthur stayed married to him until his death in 2004.
Addressing Ramaswamy directly from the stage, Acton accused him of exploiting her past to stabilize a “stumbling campaign.” She asserted that such tactics were not only out of touch but dangerous to the state. “Decency still matters,” she told the audience. “Mr. Ramaswamy, you are not just out of touch, you are out for yourself.”
Despite the gravity of the allegations and calls for the ad’s removal from high-ranking Ohio Republicans—including Governor Mike DeWine—Ramaswamy has defended the strategy as fair game. President Donald Trump also threw his weight behind the ad on Saturday while voting in West Palm Beach. Trump dismissed the criticism as a “disgrace,” suggesting that the mother’s negative testimony provided a valid reference regarding Acton’s character. Vice President JD Vance has similarly supported the ad’s continued use.
Obama’s rhetoric in Cleveland extended beyond the local gubernatorial race to a broader critique of the current administration’s priorities. He mocked the president’s focus on extensive White House renovations, including a new ballroom and a South Lawn helipad, while economic concerns persist for voters. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he seems very focused on home renovation,” Obama quipped. “He should be on HGTV. There’s gold everywhere. He’s got the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.”
Beyond the jokes, the former president urged voters to use the midterms to voice their frustration with what he described as two years of “chaos and cruelty and corruption and incompetence.” He specifically highlighted the work of Senator Sherrod Brown, who is currently fighting to retain his seat against a challenge from Republican Jon Husted in a race that could determine the balance of power in the Senate.
The Ohio rally was the first stop in a multi-state sweep for the former president. Later Saturday night, Obama traveled to Detroit to support Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official running against Republican Mike Rogers in a tightly contested Michigan race. Obama is scheduled to continue his campaign efforts next week in Georgia, where he will appear with Senator Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. President Trump is also slated to appear in Georgia this weekend, signaling a high-stakes finish for both parties as the midterm vote looms.
