Obama Bluntly Attacks Trump: Iran War Is Making Americans Suffer
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Former US President Barack Obama launched a political attack on Donald Trump ahead of the mid-term elections on 3 November 2026. Obama accused the US-Israeli war against Iran of being a disastrous decision that had worsened America’s security while pushing up energy prices and the cost of living.
Obama delivered his criticism at a Democratic Party campaign event in Morrow, Georgia, on Wednesday. He appeared to support Senator Jon Ossoff, who is fighting to retain his seat against Republican candidate Mike Collins, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is contesting the Georgia gubernatorial election against Rick Jackson. The results will help determine which party controls the US Congress for the following two years.
“The current president has made a series of bad decisions, the most catastrophic of which was starting an unnecessary war, a war that nobody asked for or chose,” Obama said, according to Al Jazeera on Thursday (29 October 2026).
He said the conflict with Iran contradicted promises made by the Trump administration and warned that the war was not truly over, despite previous efforts to secure a ceasefire and hold negotiations.
Obama also highlighted the conflict’s consequences for US security and the economy. He said reports indicated that America’s weapons stockpiles, particularly Patriot interceptor missiles, were running low, while Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz had disrupted a strategic route carrying around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Obama said the situation helped explain the rise in oil and diesel prices, which was putting pressure on the public.
“Our missile stocks have been depleted, leaving us more vulnerable. Now Iran is in control of the Strait of Hormuz,” Obama told supporters. He added that soaring energy prices were pushing up the cost of various goods, leaving the public to bear the consequences of the government’s decisions.
As well as the war, Obama attacked Trump’s trade tariffs, which he said were placing a burden on consumers.
“Economists had already warned that when tariffs are imposed, consumers are the ones who bear the cost. And that is exactly what has happened,” he said.
Obama also criticised Trump’s trade relationship with Canada and his administration’s approach to US allies.
He took aim at Trump for, in his view, focusing more on beautifying the White House than resolving the country’s problems. Obama mocked the gold decorations in the Oval Office, saying Trump seemed to be doing arts and crafts in the midst of war and rising prices. The jibe followed an earlier joke in which Obama compared the White House renovation to a Saddam Hussein-style Cheesecake Factory.
Concluding his speech, Obama broadened his criticism beyond the economy and the war to the values of government. He warned that lies, cheating and intimidation by the country’s highest officials could damage public life.
The campaign event was part of the Democrats’ effort to build support ahead of the elections, with the Iran war, cost of living and Trump’s policies at the centre of the political contest.