On a Wednesday in late October, with millions of ballots already cast and Election Day still a week away, two former and current occupants of the nation's most visible stage stood in different states and made the same old argument in new clothes: who should hold the reins of Congress. Trump pressed Ohio voters to imagine him on the ballot, while Obama pressed Georgia voters to consider what their grocery and restaurant bills have become. The outcome, as always, rests with ordinary citizens who must decide whether the mood of the moment will outlast the clamor of the campaign trail.
Obama and Trump Stage Dueling Rallies as Midterm Campaigns Make Their Final Pitch
"Pretend I'm on the ballot."
Mark
Two rallies, same afternoon, different states. What's the contrast?
Mimi
Trump is asking voters to treat the midterms as a vote on him. Obama is arguing that costs are rising because of Trump's decisions. Both are nationalizing local races.
Luke
Worth noting that "costs are directly responsible" is Obama's claim at a rally, not something the reporting established.
Mark
And the Cheesecake Factory thing, is it just noise?
Mimi
It started as a joke about gold-hued furnishings, and Obama turned it into a point about restaurant prices. Trump answered with cleanliness and the White House as a symbol.
Luke
Fair, but notice both sides call the other's reaction a distraction while continuing to engage with it.
Mark
What about the Senate picture?
Mimi
Thirty-five seats are up, and control may hinge on a few toss-ups from Alaska to Maine. New Hampshire's debate showed Sununu distancing himself from Trump while Pappas tied him back to the endorsement.
Luke
And the House edge for Democrats is CBS News' estimate, not a result. The Michigan poll is one survey with a 3.9-point margin of error.
Mark
The California ruling?
Mimi
Judge Carter said the federal request to segregate about 20,000 ballots overstepped state authority.
Luke
The 20,000 figure and the non-citizen claim are the administration's allegations. The ruling rejected the request; it didn't verify that number.
O Pulso
- Two rallies in two states unfolded at once, with Trump in Ohio and Obama in Georgia trading barbs over the White House and a Cheesecake Factory remark.
- Ohio's Senate race is tightening, and Trump is leaning hard on Husted and Ramaswamy while defending an attack ad aimed at Amy Acton.
- Obama frames the Georgia contest around rising prices, calling the administration's response to his joke 'phony outrage.'
- A federal judge blocked a Justice Department attempt to set aside about 20,000 California mail ballots, a sharp rebuke to federal efforts to shape the vote before Nov. 3.
On a Wednesday in late October, with millions of ballots already cast and Election Day still a week away, two former and current occupants of the nation's most visible stage stood in different states and made the same old argument in new clothes: who should hold the reins of Congress. Trump pressed Ohio voters to imagine him on the ballot, while Obama pressed Georgia voters to consider what their grocery and restaurant bills have become. The outcome, as always, rests with ordinary citizens who must decide whether the mood of the moment will outlast the clamor of the campaign trail.
On Wednesday, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, and millions of ballots already cast, President Trump was in Ohio and former President Obama was in Georgia, each using a stage to argue over who should control Congress.
Democrats hold an estimated edge in the House, while the Senate may hinge on a few toss-up states from Alaska to Maine. In Ohio, Trump campaigned for Sen. Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, asking voters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" even as polls show a tight race with Sherrod Brown. He defended the Iran war, promised to end it quickly, teased a possible Space Academy for Ohio, and defended Ramaswamy against an attack ad that Acton's campaign called a "despicable low."
In Georgia, Obama rallied for Jon Ossoff and Keisha Lance Bottoms and answered the feud over his Cheesecake Factory joke. He said his point was not about the restaurant but about prices that leave many families unable to eat out, blaming administration decisions for rising costs. Trump shot back that Obama "doesn't understand cleanliness."
Elsewhere, New Hampshire's Senate debate between Chris Pappas and John E. Sununu turned on Iran, tariffs, and an old Social Security privatization bill, while in Michigan Rep. Haley Stevens still backed Abdul El-Sayed despite her fiancé's plan to vote Republican. Meanwhile, a federal judge rejected the Justice Department's bid to set aside roughly 20,000 California mail ballots, affirming state authority over elections. With voting underway, the question is how the toss-up Senate races break.
On Wednesday, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 3, and millions of ballots already cast in early voting, President Trump and former President Barack Obama held rallies in two different states at the same time. Trump was in Ohio. Obama was in Georgia. Each used the stage to argue about who should hold power in Congress.
CBS News estimates that Democrats have an edge in the race for control of the House. In the Senate, 35 seats are on the ballot, but control could come down to a handful of toss-up states ranging from Alaska to Maine.
In Ohio, Trump campaigned for Republican Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, part of a weekslong pre-election push. As he has at many recent rallies, he asked voters to "pretend I'm on the ballot." He won Ohio three times, including by 11.2 points in 2024, but polls show tight races there, with former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown trying to return to Congress. Trump defended his handling of the Iran war, saying he will "finish up" the conflict "very quickly." He said that if Husted wins, he will consider placing the Space Academy in Ohio. He also kept up a running joke about Husted's physique. Husted told CBS News that he and his wife have "a good sense of humor about it," adding that he needs to get to the gym more often.
Trump also defended Ramaswamy over an attack ad featuring the estranged mother of Democratic opponent Amy Acton calling her a "liar." The husband of Acton's mother was accused of raping Acton when she was a child. Acton's campaign called the ad a "despicable low." Trump said Ramaswamy was "treated very unfairly."
In Georgia, Obama rallied for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms. He addressed the feud over his weekend joke that the White House renovations made it look like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory." Obama said he has nothing against the chain, noting that raising two daughters meant years at Chuck E. Cheese, California Pizza Kitchen and the Cheesecake Factory. His real point, he said, was that prices have climbed so high that many people can barely afford to eat out. He called the administration's reaction "phony outrage," described Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's visit to the restaurant as part of a "whole-of-government response to that joke," and said administration decisions are "directly responsible for rising costs." Trump said Obama "doesn't understand cleanliness" and called the White House the number one symbol of the country.
In New Hampshire, Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas and Republican former Sen. John E. Sununu debated for the open Senate seat. Sununu, endorsed by Trump, criticized the president's handling of the Iran war and tariffs, and held up Maine Sen. Susan Collins as a model. Pappas said Sununu "cheered it on from the beginning," tied him to Trump, and argued Democrats must change the balance of power in the Senate. The two also clashed over a 2000s bill Sununu cosponsored that would have voluntarily shifted some Social Security savings into private accounts. Pappas called it privatization; Sununu said the attack was meant to scare seniors.
In Michigan, Rep. Haley Stevens told CNN she still backs Abdul El-Sayed, who beat her in the Democratic Senate primary, even though her fiancé, Jason Turkish, told The Detroit News he will vote for Republican Mike Rogers. She called theirs "a household divided." A Mitchell Research poll taken Oct. 26-27 shows El-Sayed leading Rogers 51% to 44% among likely voters, with a 3.9-point margin of error.
Separately, U.S. District Judge David Carter rejected a Justice Department bid to make California set aside mail ballots from roughly 20,000 people the administration claims are not citizens. In a 26-page ruling, he wrote that the request violated longstanding constitutional principles giving states authority over their own elections. With voting underway, the question now is how the toss-up Senate races break on Nov. 3.
Citações Notáveis
Never before in American history has the federal government, on the eve of an election, sought to coerce a state and local government to abandon their own Constitutional elections procedures.— U.S. District Judge David Carter
We're a household divided.— Rep. Haley Stevens
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