"We have to flip the switch, bring accountability to this government," Obama said, presenting the coming elections as an opportunity to rein in Trump's actions.
The former president also went after Trump's Iran policy. According to Obama, the war and threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have given Iran significant economic leverage, given the strait's importance for moving oil to markets worldwide. He mocked the administration's claims of success on the Iran front.
Obama didn't stop at attacking Trump's policies. He ridiculed Hegseth's preoccupation with the physical appearance and fitness of American soldiers, asking: "How long do you think the Defense Secretary spends in front of the mirror each morning?"
He attacked Hegseth's statements about fighting spirit in the American military, and mocked the idea of broadcasting executions live as a means of cultivating masculine warrior spirit. According to Obama, Hegseth focuses on matters like jawlines and soldiers' masculinity levels instead of issues critical to national security.
He also ridiculed renovations Trump is making to the White House, comparing its new look to a place where Saddam Hussein would open a branch of the American restaurant chain Cheesecake Factory. He used the platform to attack the president's conduct, accusing him of advancing personal interests at public expense, and called on Democratic supporters to vote in the midterms.
In Ohio, Obama appeared alongside Democratic candidates Sherrod Brown, running for Senate, and Amy Acton, running for governor. He attacked the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, over an advertising campaign about Acton's childhood that sparked political controversy.
