Obama Torches Trump by Turning MAGA’s Favorite Gripe Against Him
The president has spent the past few months working his favorite grievance, election fraud, back into regular rotation.
Barack Obama has waded into the redistricting battle in California, using one of Donald Trump’s favorite arguments to sharply criticize him.
In a new ad supporting Governor Gavin Newsom’s campaign for Proposition 50, the former president warns voters that Republicans are “trying to grab enough seats in Congress to rig the next election.” As he speaks, images of Trump appear on the screen.
“California, the entire nation is counting on you,” Obama declares in the ad, which began airing Tuesday on cable, broadcast, and digital channels. “Democracy is on the agenda on November 4th.”
Obama never mentions Trump by name, but his remarks echo one of the current president’s favorite criticisms: voter fraud. He directs his message back at Republicans, while Democrats strive to increase voter turnout ahead of next month’s runoff elections.
“Listen to @barackobama,” Newsom tweeted, sharing the video.
Listen to @barackobama. pic.twitter.com/oPjyWVCqpG
Advertisement— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 14, 2025
The announcement marks Obama’s most high-profile move to date in support of Proposition 50, Newsom’s redistricting initiative, which aims to counter Republican-led redistricting efforts in states like Texas. He had previously praised Newsom’s efforts at an August fundraiser and on social media, but had not appeared on camera until now.
Newsom, widely considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, has mobilized a slate of prominent Democrats to rally the base, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA).
In contrast, opponents of the measure have steered clear of key Republican lawmakers. Their main supporter is former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose long feud with Trump makes him an unsuitable candidate for the “No” campaign, which advocates “Make America Great Again.”
Proposition 50 has become a symbol of broader national power struggles and redistricting. Democrats claim it ensures fair representation, while Republicans dismiss it as a partisan power grab.
A spokesperson for the Proposition 50 campaign declined to disclose how much Obama spent on advertising.
Furthermore, election fraud has long been a popular talking point for Trump, despite his denials. His favorite tactics include mail-in ballot fraud, fraudulent voting by noncitizens, fraud through a vast interstate conspiracy, and, of course, fraud orchestrated by the Democratic Party.
The president has spent the past few months rehashing his favorite grievance. At a fundraiser in August, he warned his supporters that his 2025 victory must be “too big for the Democrats to rig.”
At a rally in Atlanta on August 3, Trump said, “We have to vote, and we have to make sure they don’t cheat, because they cheat like crazy.”
Addressing the Fraternal Order of Police on September 6, he repeated the phrase: “Be careful not to rig the election, because we win without cheating, and we win very easily.”
Later that month, he told Dr. Phil McGraw, “Any time you send out an absentee ballot, there’s going to be massive fraud.”
At a rally in Las Vegas on September 13, Trump promised “long prison sentences” for “election cheats,” adding, “We have a good lead, but we have to be careful. Remember, they cheat like crazy.”
