Trump, Obama clash on campaign trail ahead of midterms

Obama makes first major midterm rally appearance, calling Trump's tenure 'two years of chaos'; Trump fires back, claiming Obama drew an empty crowd

Former US President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally in Michigan on Saturday (local time). [REUTERS]

With 10 days to go before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama took to the campaign trail in key battleground states Saturday (local time), setting up a direct clash between the sitting and former presidents.

Trump touted his tariff policy and the results of military operations against Iran, while Obama hammered the administration over rising prices and what he called governmental disorder, urging voters to check the current administration's power.

Obama told a Democratic campaign event in Cleveland, Ohio, that the Trump administration had delivered "two years of chaos, cruelty, corruption and incompetence unlike anything we've seen in modern history," according to Yonhap and other news reports.

He described the war with Iran that Trump launched as "an unnecessary war that nobody asked for or wanted," and said the conflict, along with Trump's tariff policy, had driven up prices.

Obama also took aim at Trump's focus on remodeling the White House, quipping that he "should be on HGTV."

"He's turned the White House into what it would look like if Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory," Obama said. "It's all gold."

"This election is the last and best chance to at least put some check on the foolishness of the current administration," he said.

Saturday marked Obama's first large-scale in-person rally appearance during this midterm cycle. He also visited Detroit, Michigan, that day to campaign for Democratic candidates.

US President Donald Trump campaigns in Perry, Georgia, on Saturday (local time). [REUTERS]

Trump, rallying in Perry, Georgia, hit back sharply at Obama.

"Obama was in Michigan and the place was empty," Trump said, adding that despite the sparse turnout, supporters were claiming large crowds had gathered.

He also complained that the media was not fairly covering the size of the crowds at his own rallies.

The New York Times, however, said Trump's claim that Obama's Michigan venue was empty did not match the facts.

Trump also drew a sharp contrast with Obama on economic and Iran policy.

"Obama said America was not a manufacturing nation — he was wrong," Trump said. "Because of our tariff policy, major companies are coming back to the United States."

He also attacked the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, struck during the Obama administration, calling it "one of the worst deals ever made" and saying it "was a pathway to Iran getting a nuclear weapon."

Trump said he had scrapped the agreement and, through military operations against Iran, destroyed the country's uranium enrichment capabilities. "Iran will never have a nuclear weapon," he said, defending the justification for the war.

According to The New York Times, Obama is scheduled to campaign in Georgia next week. Trump visits Michigan on Sunday.

jeongwan@heraldcorp.com