Former President Barack Obama speaking at a campaign rally in Ohio on Oct. 24, 2026 (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
On Sat., Oct. 24, 2026, former President Obama spoke at a Democrat campaign rally in Ohio and discussed the White House renovations made by President Trump. Obama described how the White House now looks “like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” Hussein was an Iraqi dictator who had dozens of palaces decked out in gold. As expected, the Trump administration was outraged by the comment. Trump defended the renovations, saying he’s “taken care of the White House” and “fixed it with the finest artisans in the world.” In an X post, VP Vance wrote, “Obama, without even trying to be, just can’t help himself for being super elitist,” trying to turn the Cheesecake Factory statement into a class-consciousness struggle. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent decided to have lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Washington, D.C., and share his experience. Bessent described having a “great meal” at the Cheesecake Factory and said he would “tell the Martha’s Vineyard set to give it a try,” referring to the Obamas, who own a property on the Vineyard.
On Wed., Oct. 28, Obama clapped back at the Trump administration's attacks, saying he was surprised the White House focused more on the Cheesecake Factory than the Saddam Hussein comparison. Obama also cleared the air about his feelings toward the Cheesecake Factory, saying how he’s the “father of two daughters.” He rhetorically asked the audience, “Do you think I could have survived their childhood without going to the Cheesecake Factory?” Now, as much as most Americans and I love the Cheesecake Factory, we have bigger issues to tackle. I'm also concerned about the lack of debate over the Saddam Hussein aspect of the comparison- shouldn’t the Trump administration be more focused on telling the public they’re not similar to a violent dictator who killed hundreds of thousands of people instead of focusing on an American chain restaurant with gold decor?
One massive issue we can focus on instead of the Cheesecake Factory is the US midterm elections taking place on Tues., Nov. 3, 2026. The midterms include highly contested elections, with control of both the US House and Senate up for grabs. All 435 House of Representatives seats are up for grabs, and 35 Senate seats are open. Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 Senate seats. To win a Senate majority, Democrats would need 51 Senate seats, since in a 50-50 tie, VP JD Vance would cast the deciding vote for Republicans. Key Senate races to watch include Alaska, where Republican Dan S. Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola; Michigan, where Republican Mike Rogers faces Democrat Abdul El-Sayed; and Texas, where Republican Ken Paxton faces Democrat James Talarico. For Democrats to win control of the House, they would need 218 seats.
DHS officers carrying boxes from Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Washington home in Oct. 12, 2026 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The political world has been in shambles throughout October 2026. In early Oct. 2026, the Washington-area home of MN Rep. Ilhan Omar was searched by federal agents after they received a court-approved search warrant. The search connects to the larger investigation into Omar by the FBI and the DHS that has been unfolding for ten years. The investigation began during the Obama administration in the summer of 2016, when the FBI and DHS investigated Omar’s 2009 marriage.
Allegedly, her 2009 marriage was a sham marriage to her brother to help him obtain a green card to the US. Omar’s controversy was re-aired by the Trump administration, which is examining her marriages and her family’s immigration status. Omar and her family immigrated to the US as refugees from Somalia. In 2009, Omar was a US citizen and married British citizen, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom she divorced in 2017. Under federal law, “marrying anyone for the sole purpose of securing a green card is illegal.” The Trump administration wants to use her 2009 marriage as a piece of evidence towards an indictment of “family immigration fraud conspiracy.” The reopened investigation is another example of how, during her time in Congress, Omar has faced countless attacks. As a Somali immigrant to the US, Trump has weaponized Omar’s country of birth against her, attacked her legal status, and used islamophobia to stoke hysteria. The renewed attacks on Omar come shortly before the midterm elections, where Omar is running for her fifth term in Congress.
Continuing on, Alaska’s Senate race has made national headlines. On Oct. 28, 2026, Alaska Governor Republican Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into Democrat Mary Peltola’s Senate campaign after the NYT released a bombshell report claiming Alaska Democrats are attempting to stack the ballot. Allegedly, in the summer of 2025, a staffer for Peltola was asked to find as many people in Alaska named Dan Sullivan as possible, which is the name of the Republican candidate for Alaska’s Senate.
In Spring 2026, it was announced that Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher living in the remote Alaska Panhandle, was running for the Senate seat. Allegedly, the plan to find Sullivan included Peltola campaign senior aides from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. However, despite the controversy, ballot-stacking is typically legal and has been used in Alaska before.
Mary Peltola at her debate against Republican Dan Sullivan in Anchorage, Alaska, on Oct. 15, 2026 (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
On Nov. 3, there will be 4 people on the ballot for Alaska’s Senate seat: Peltola, the Sullivans, and Republican Gerald Heikes, who has gathered close to zero support. Alaska’s system makes ballot-stacking tangible, since the primaries are nonpartisan and candidates choose any party affiliation. Despite the controversy surrounding Dan S. Sullivan and Dan J. Sullivan, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that there was no basis for removing Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot.
Republicans made a similar move in Alaska in 2024 when Peltola ran for re-election to the House. Alaska’s Republican Party decided to support a Democrat who was an inmate running a campaign from prison. In 2022, the inmate, Eric Hafner, was convicted of threatening to kill police officers, judges, and others and made false bomb threats. Hafner ran his 2024 campaign out of the New York federal prison where he’s serving a 20-year sentence. Democrats tried to remove Hafner’s name from the ballot, but in a 4–to–1 vote, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled Hafner’s name could stay. He received under 1% of the vote.
Additionally, in 2018, Hafner’s mother, Carol Hafner, ran for Alaska’s US House seat. Carol Hafner also doesn’t live in Alaska; she resides in South Dakota. In the 2018 Democratic primary, she received close to 15% of the vote.
Michigan’s Senate race has become increasingly heated as Dr. Abdul El-Sayed has faced racist and Islamophobic attacks. Republicans have continuously mocked El-Sayed’s name, mispronouncing it on purpose, and refer to him by his middle name, Mohamed. Republicans also created ads to generate islamophobia by suggesting that El-Sayed was connected to the Muslim Brotherhood or terrorist groups. El-Sayed’s rival, Mike Rogers, is an establishment politician and former congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee, served as an officer in the US Army, served in the Michigan State Senate, and worked as an FBI special agent.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign event on Oct. 24, 2026 (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
On Oct. 24, the same day Obama made the Saddam Hussein and Trump comparison, Trump spoke at a Republican rally in the deeply Republican, working-class city of Port Huron, Michigan. Trump made numerous racist and Islamophobic attacks towards Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. He said that if Dr. El-Sayed and Democrats were to win the midterms, they’ll “open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadis to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas.” Obviously, this statement is false and ridiculous. Trump also called El-Sayed a “jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member,” which is another wildly false statement. In comparison, Trump called the conservative, white, and Christian Mike Rogers an “apple pie,” metaphorically saying he fits the stereotype the Trump administration loves: conservative, white, and Christian men. He continued to gush over Rogers, saying, “he’s like central casting” and “he’s what your state is all about.”
At the same rally, President Trump was joined on stage by a surprising guest: rapper Nicki Minaj. Trump, who had made comments about a man’s rear end, decided to tell the audience, “By the way, I looked at a beautiful a** before…Nicki Minaj. That’s hard to miss.” Saturday Night Live writers are going to be put out of work; the jokes write themselves at this point. Then, Trump asked Minaj to stand up, wanting to parade her around.
While giving a speech, Minaj went into detail about how Trump has “changed the energy of the country” and has “given us a future to look forward to.” After speaking, Trump praised Minaj, saying “she never looked more beautiful.” However, the irony is that Minaj is not a US citizen and is an immigrant who’s ineligible to vote. Let’s not forget that the Trump administration consistently targets immigrant noncitizens yet is quick to capitalize on their support.
Additionally, the campaign trail in Texas has been heating up. For the second time in about a week, James Talarico and Ken Paxton hosted rallies in the same city, Lubbock, TX. Paxton’s rally featured a headliner, President Trump, who delivered a speech lasting over 90 minutes. Talarico’s rally hoped to appear in a conservative area to draw in centrist Republicans and independent voters.
Talarico has served four terms in the Texas House and has shifted between a bipartisan-focused Democrat and a progressive. While focusing on bipartisan issues, he has worked alongside Democrats since 2019 and helped turn 39 bills into law. As a progressive, Talarico focuses more on the differences between him and Republicans, especially in liberal Austin. Talarico’s progressive stances have provided him a platform for gaining national attention.
Overall, the state of politics seems like a dumpster fire across the country. While there’s hope for a blue wave of Democrats winning, they will face tough opposition from Republicans supported by the Trump administration. The midterm results will shape the last two years of President Trump's time in office. Whether Republicans or Democrats take the U.S. House and Senate depends on voters across the country. At such a crucial point for the United States, it is essential to show up, make your voice heard, and vote.