ATLANTA — Barack Obama traveled to Clayton County Wednesday night to promote the Georgia Democratic ticket less than a week before Election Day.
The visit came amid Republican efforts to energize their own voting base, including two visits to the state earlier this month by President Donald Trump.
Obama linked top Georgia Republican candidates to Trump and focused his criticisms on the president’s management of the country and on rising prices.
Obama blamed Trump for starting a war with Iran that has driven up prices, and he ridiculed the president’s tariffs.
He drew laughter when he said Trump had started a trade war with an “evil empire that is a sworn adversary of the United States — Canada.” He described Canadians as “the people who gave us maple syrup and Martin Short, the nicest people around.”
Obama’s appearance at The Arena at Southlake in Morrow came after speeches earlier in the evening by Democratic U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, and several down-ballot Democrats also pitched their own campaigns.
Ossoff is defending his seat against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins while Bottoms runs against Republican businessman Rick Jackson.
Obama asserted corruption in the White House and said a Republican-controlled Congress would do nothing about it, “certainly not Mike Collins.” Obama characterized Jackson as a Trump acolyte.
Jackson has spent more than $100 million of his own money on his campaign, and Warnock tried to use that against him.
“I need you to send Rick Jackson a clear message,” said Warnock, who is not up for reelection this year. “Georgia is not for sale.”
Bottoms and Ossoff attacked their respective opponents.
After labeling Trump a “wannabe dictator,” Bottoms called Jackson his “billionaire sidekick.” The other side has the money, she said, “but they will never overtake our movement.”
Ossoff called Trump a “draft-dodging” commander in chief who cannot figure out how to exit the “needless” war with Iran. Then, Ossoff faulted Collins for voting in lockstep with Trump on everything from the war to Trump’s tax and spending bill.
Hundreds of thousands lost access to healthcare as a result, Ossoff said, criticizing the decisions as “the cynical indifference of powerful people.”
Republicans lobbed their own criticisms ahead of Obama’s visit. Josh McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, claimed in a statement that Ossoff was “clearly going to run as the Socialist candidate for President in 2028,” adding, “it’s no wonder why President Obama is coming to campaign with Ossoff.”
Among the other speakers was Jamal Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a large and influential Black institution in Stonecrest.
Bryant predicted a Democratic wave in this election.
Already, more than 2 million voters have cast an early ballot, a record for the state. “Somebody should check the weather forecast,” he said. “A blue tsunami is about to hit Georgia.”
Early voting ends Friday and Election Day is Tuesday. The results will show how well Bryant’s forecast holds up.