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Obama the ‘campaign closer’ for Democrats in top 2025 elections as party aims to rebound
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In the final stretch leading up to Election Day 2025, former President Barack Obama is everywhere.
From coast to coast, the former president is hoping to help push fellow Democrats over the finish line in the most high-profile and consequential ballot box showdowns this year as his party aims to rebound following last year’s election setbacks.
On Saturday, with just three days to go until Election Day, Obama will headline rallies in New Jersey and Virginia, the only two states holding elections for governor this year.
And last week he weighed in on another crucial ballot box showdown.
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Former President Barack Obama speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
«A lot of us do not believe that politicians should choose their voters, they believe the voters should choose who’s going to represent them. That’s the meaning of democracy,» the former two-term president said as he joined California Gov. Gavin Newsom on an organizing call for California’s Proposition 50.
California voters are deciding whether to pass the proposition, which will give congressional redistricting powers in the left-leaning state back to the Democrat-dominated legislature over the coming years.
The move would likely create up to five more blue-leaning U.S. House seats in the nation’s most populous state, and counter new maps drawn in GOP-dominated Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina that will likely create up to seven Republican-leaning districts.
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It’s part of a broad effort by the GOP to pad its razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Democrats need a pickup of just three seats to win back control of the House.
President Donald Trump and his political team are aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.
Obama argued that the Trump-led effort by Republicans across the country is «brazen.»
«The problem that we are seeing right now is that our current president and his administration is explicitly saying that we want to change the rules of the game mid-stream in order to insulate ourselves from the people’s judgment,» the former president said as he joined Newsom.
Obama, who is appearing in «Yes on 50» TV ads, said that passing the proposition in California would give Democrats «a chance, at least, to create a level playing field in the upcoming midterm elections.»
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The former president is also appearing in ads in New Jersey for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who’s locked in a close contest with GOP rival Jack Ciattarelli in the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
And he’s starring in spots for former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Virginia, who’s facing off against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the showdown to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, seen at an early voting rally on Sept. 19, 2025, in Henrico, Virginia, is the Democratic Party’s nominee in this year’s election for governor. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
For Democrats, who are aiming to escape the political wilderness after losing control of the White House and Senate majority and falling short in winning back the House last year, the 2025 ballot box showdowns are their first major shot at redemption, and they hope that Obama’s two-state swing will energize their base voters.
But for the former president, whose crowning domestic achievement — the Affordable Care Act, which is better known as Obamacare — is front-and-center in the current federal government shutdown and a top issue on the 2025 campaign trail, his return to the campaign trail is also about protecting his legacy.
«President Obama reminds us what we can accomplish when we leaders are unafraid to take on big challenges to deliver,» Sherrill said in a statement. «He led historic efforts to insure millions of Americans and lower healthcare costs.»
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Jersey, greets voters at a senior center in Elizabeth, N.J., on Oct. 29, 2025 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Obama is often referred to as the Democrats’ campaign closer as they point to his recurring role since leaving office nine years ago as the party’s most effective campaign trail communicator.
According to a Gallup poll conducted in January, Obama had a 59% favorable rating among Americans, higher than any other living former president. And among Democrats, his favorable rating stood at an astronomical 96%.
«He’s the best communicator of our generation. The pathway back lies largely in meeting people where they are, and President Obama showed in his two election victories that he can do that,» seasoned Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo told Fox News Digital.
But Erin Maguire, a veteran Republican strategist and communicator who served in top communications positions for then-House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, and later led communications for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, disagrees.
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«It shows what a vacuum of leadership there is in the Democrat Party that Obama has to be the closer here,» she emphasized.
Pointing to Trump’s come-from-behind 2016 White House victory, Maguire argued «there was a complete rejection of the Obama era when Donald Trump was elected to office. . . . For Democrats, this just shows what a monumental mess their whole party is that Obama has to be the strongest voice on any of these races.»
barack obama,gavin newsom,donald trump,2025 2026 elections coverage,virginia governor race,new jersey,california,campaigning
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As Hezbollah rebuilds its forces and Lebanon is accused of failing to enforce the ceasefire terms brokered last year, Israel’s defense minister has fired off a warning to Beirut.
On Sunday, Defense Minister Israel Katz said, «Hezbollah is playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet,» he said. «The Lebanese government’s commitment to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons and remove it from southern Lebanon must be realized. Enforcement will continue and deepen — we will not allow a threat to the residents of the north.»
His warning comes as Fox News Digital has learned that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is weighing broader operations against the Iran-backed terrorist group after repeated violations of the truce.
A senior IDF officer stationed on the northern border told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that Hezbollah remains fully armed and funded by Iran.
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Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025. (IDF)
«Hezbollah didn’t give up their heavy weapons,» the officer said. «They’re still trained, still financed by Iran, and still trying to re-establish their positions. Our job is to make sure they don’t succeed.»
On Monday, the IDF confirmed it had killed two Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon. Muhammad Ali Hadid, a senior member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, was eliminated in Nabatieh, while another operative was struck in Ayta ash Shab after being seen collecting intelligence on Israeli positions.
«The terrorists’ activities violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,» the IDF said in a statement. «The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to the State of Israel.»
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir watch as the IDF carries out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. (Ministry of Defense)
The senior officer said the operations reflect Israel’s new, proactive security doctrine. «If somebody threatens us, we take control of the situation and make the threat go away,» he said. «We pushed Hezbollah back, so civilians could return. Now we’re fortifying those gains and acting to prevent their recovery.»
That, he added, is the lesson Israel learned from Oct. 7. «Until then, we sometimes looked the other way. That’s over. We’re not sitting and waiting for the next rocket.»
A flag bearing the picture of assassinated pro-Iranian Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah flutters in front of a picture of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Nasrallah’s assassination in an Israeli airstrike at his grave in Beirut. Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2025. (Marwan Naamani/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)
The officer said the IDF’s 91st Division recently completed its largest exercise since the start of the war, designed to strengthen operational readiness for both defense and offensive operations along the Lebanese border — at sea, in the air, and on land.
«We tested our defensive systems, coordination, and rapid-response capabilities,» he said. «We’re applying every lesson from Oct. 7 so our response next time will be immediate.»
Israeli soldiers take part in an IDF exercise to enhance operational readiness along the Lebanon border in Oct. 2025 (IDF)
According to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper, intelligence officials believe Hezbollah is rapidly rebuilding its arsenal with Iranian assistance. The group has partially restored its weapons supply chain through Syria and Iraq, despite disruptions following the collapse of the Assad regime last year.
The Trump administration has also expressed frustration over Beirut’s failure to curb Hezbollah. U.S. Special Envoy Thomas Barrack recently described Lebanon as «a failed state» because of its «paralyzed government,» and that Hezbollah pays its fighters more than the national army soldiers earns.
EXCLUSIVE: A LOOK AT HEZBOLLAH’S PLAN TO TERRORIZE AND INVADE NORTHERN ISRAEL
Commuters drive past a newly-installed billboard bearing the image of a Lebanese flag and a statement that reads in Arabic «Lebanon a new era», replacing a Hezbollah billboard, on the road leading to Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International airport on April 10, 2025. (Photo by Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images)
Responding to Israel’s preemptive strikes last week, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi urged his visiting German counterpart on Friday to «help pressure Israel to halt its attacks.»
«Only a diplomatic solution, not a military one, can ensure stability and maintain calm in the south,» Raggi said, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA).
He added that the Lebanese government «is gradually moving forward with its decision to bring all weapons under state control.»
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday voiced «deep concerns», urging all parties «to fully commit to the cessation of hostilities.»
UNIFIL added that it remains in contact with the Lebanese Armed Forces and emphasized that extending state authority «is at the very core of Resolution 1701.»
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IDF troops fighting Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)
Despite diplomatic criticism, Israeli commanders insist they will not allow Hezbollah to rebuild.
«We won’t wait for another Oct. 7,» the Israeli officer said. «We’re vigilant, we’re rebuilding, and we’re ready. The quiet we have now depends on Hezbollah’s choices — not on our willingness to defend ourselves.»
israel,lebanon,conflicts,terrorism
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White House slams Mamdani’s ‘completely irresponsible’ comments linking Trump to threats against voters
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The White House slammed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after he linked the Trump administration to threats against voters in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, as New Jerseyans went to cast their ballots, bomb threats forced voters out of multiple polling places. While the threats were found to be non-credible, they still caused a disruption to those looking to exercise their right to vote for the Garden State’s next governor. When asked about the threats in his neighboring state, Mamdani made comments that raised eyebrows and rocked the West Wing.
Mamdani called the threats «incredibly concerning» and said that he believed they were «an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing on our democracy.»
«We have to understand this as part of the general approach the Trump administration has taken to trying to intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,» Mamdani said.
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The White House said Zohran Mamdani’s comments on the bomb threats in New Jersey were «completely irresponsible.» (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mamdani’s remarks were «completely irresponsible» and not based in fact.
«I think they are completely irresponsible, and they are based on zero evidence. And I think this is just another example of how the Democrat Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump. And I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on an Election Day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had absolutely nothing to do with those threats,» Leavitt said in response to a question from Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich.
On Monday, Trump, who has been an outspoken critic of Mamdani, backed former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race.
«I would much rather see a Democrat, who has had a record of success, WIN, than a communist with no experience and a record of COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE. He was nothing as an assemblyman, ranked at the bottom of the class and, as mayor of potentially, again, the greatest city in the World, HE HAS NO CHANCE to bring it back to its former glory!,» Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani votes at a voting site on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York City. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)
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«We must also remember this — A vote for Curtis Sliwa (who looks much better without the beret!) is a vote for Mamdani. Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,» Trump added. «He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!»
Trump, a native New Yorker, also said that if Mamdani were to win, it would be «highly unlikely that I will be contributing federal funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home.»
Cuomo responded, saying that Trump «doesn’t support me,» but rather «he opposes Mamdani.»
«He believes that Mamdani is an existential threat to New York,» Cuomo added.
Andrew Cuomo leaves a campaign stop in New York City on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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«The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him,» Mamdani said at a press event in New York on the eve of the election. «Not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump and his administration.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s campaign for comment on Leavitt’s response.
Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
zohran mamdani,donald trump,new york city,white house,politics
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