NORFOLK, Virginia — Former President Barack Obama lambasted his successor, President Donald Trump, on Saturday as part of his appeal to boost voter support for Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Virginia.
“We’ve got a president who thinks it’s OK to use the Justice Department to go after his political opponents,” Obama said at the Ted Constant Convocation Center as the audience jeered.
“Don’t boo, vote,” Obama quipped, referencing his usual get-out-the-vote phrase on the same day that early voting ends in Virginia.
“We’ve got a commander-in-chief who fires decorated officers because he thinks they might be more loyal to the Constitution than to him,” Obama continued. “It’s like every day is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and no treats. And here’s the thing, it is not as if we didn’t see some of this coming. I will admit it is worse than even I expected, but I did warn you all. I did. You can run the tape.”
Much of the former president’s speech sought to excoriate Trump’s tenure, with Obama claiming Trump is eroding American democracy. Obama slammed many of Trump’s actions, including deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities led by Democratic leaders.
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“I am worried about how quickly basic democratic rules and norms have been weakened,” Obama told the crowd.
Democrats are hoping that backlash to Trump’s economic policies, the government shutdown, and the slashing of the federal workforce will boost their candidates in Virginia and in New Jersey, giving them some momentum to run on ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“I am here to ask you to vote for the next governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger,” Obama told the audience. “Lord knows, we need that light, we need that inspiration because let’s face it, our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now.”
Obama will also campaign with Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), who is facing Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, later on Saturday.
In contrast, Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) rallied Republicans to get out and vote for the entire ticket and outlined the stakes of the election for Virginia on Thursday evening, a Youngkin aide confirmed to the Washington Examiner. Youngkin noted that Trump held a similar tele-rally for him the night before his election and it’s what delivered him his victory in 2021.
But Trump has notably had a distant relationship with Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, instead enthusiastically endorsing Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in his reelection battle against the scandal-ridden Democrat Jay Jones.
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Obama and the speakers who came before him encouraged attendees to vote early in Virginia as Democrats look to ensure Spanberger can flip the governor’s mansion blue after Youngkin won in 2021.
“On Tuesday, we are going to send a message,” Spanberger said in her speech before she introduced Obama onstage. “A message that Virginia is turning the page.”
Spanberger heads into Election Day with momentum behind her campaign. She has comfortably led Earle-Sears in polling the entire cycle. Yet during her speech, Spanberger emphasized that Earle-Sears’s support of Trump’s slashing of the federal workforce will hurt Virginia, which has a sizable population of federal workers.
“On every major issue facing Virginia’s families, my opponent is focused on the wrong things,” Spanberger said.
But the Obama appearance on the campaign trail suggests that Democrats are leaving nothing to chance after 2024’s disastrous cycle.
The excitement around Obama was also seen among young first-time voters who were children when Obama’s second term ended in 2016.
“Abigail aligns more with, like, my morals and like my beliefs,” Zoe Martin, 18, of Virginia Beach told the Washington Examiner.
“I’m voting for her, my full support. And obviously Obama. I love Obama, so I want to come out to see him. And you know, he’s supporting her, so I just want to come see it,” she added.
“I came out because, like, I’ve never been to a rally. This is my first time,” added Shayla Shaw, 19, a Virginia Beach resident. “And I heard some things that the other opponent said … I don’t really agree with and I like Abigail more. So I just wanted to see what she was thinking, like what she wants to do for Virginia.”
With just three days left before Election Day, the push for turnout dominated the rally. Organizers guided attendees to a nearby early-voting site, where many cast their ballots before returning for the event. Norfolk residents who had already voted — including those who voted earlier in the day — were allowed to bypass the much longer general-admission line and head straight into the rally.
Voters appeared warm to Spanberger, though several admitted Obama was the reason they showed up.
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“I think Abigail Spanberger is going to be fantastic. And of course, I have always loved Barack Obama, so I’m very excited to see him, and I’m so glad he’s putting his weight behind Abigail,” Nancy Carothers, 77, of Virginia Beach said.
“Everything he says is always fantastic and inspiring, and I know he will encourage us to fight on and fight harder and protect our country,” she added.
Samantha-Jo Roth contributed to this report.