Former President Barack Obama sharply criticized Donald Trump, asserting that the American people have moved past a "politics that divides them." Obama's remarks followed the Democratic victories in the midterm elections, where the party secured control of both the House and the Senate.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Obama declared that the election results sent a "clear message" to the White House. "The American people want a politics that brings people together rather than divides them," he said. He commended the "outstanding candidates" who won, attributing their success to "shared values, a belief in public service, and a commitment to putting the people of their districts and states first."
Obama, who actively campaigned for several Democratic candidates, including Sherrod Brown in Ohio, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, Jon Ossoff, and Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia, also indicated a path forward for his party. "While this administration has another two years in office, our job now is to roll up our sleeves, make changes wherever we have the power to do so, prevent further damage, and lay the groundwork for the future," he stated.
A notable point of contention during the campaign trail was Obama's jest about Trump's White House renovations, which he likened to "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." This remark drew a response from Trump, who defended his decor, and even from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who praised a Cheesecake Factory meal in a television interview.
The midterm outcomes saw Democrats flip six Senate seats and at least a dozen Republican-held House districts. Significant upsets included Democrat James Talarico's victory over Trump-backed Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas, and Democratic Senate wins in Kansas and South Carolina, ending long Republican streaks in those states. Despite these setbacks for the Republican party, Trump posted on Truth Social, "I wasn't on the ballot, and if I was, we would have won in a landslide."