Obama calls Trump and Hegseth 'not serious people' over Iran war at Ohio rally

Former President Barack Obama on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war with Iran. He said Americans were paying the price for their decisions ¹. He spoke at a Cleveland rally for Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown and Democratic governor candidate Amy Acton ¹².

Obama said Trump had walked away from diplomacy and left the country in a war months after declaring victory. He pointed to the Iran nuclear agreement reached while he was president. “I didn’t have to fire a missile to do it,” he said ¹.

I didn’t have to fire a missile to do it

He then turned to the human and military costs. Obama said allies and U.S. bases have been attacked, Americans have been killed and hundreds wounded, and the military has run down its stock of missiles ¹. Newsweek reported that the Pentagon recently raised its count of U.S. troops who have died in connection with operations against Iran to 21, with 865 wounded ¹.

Mocking Hegseth

Obama mocked Hegseth for focusing on testosterone levels in the military. In July, Hegseth announced that active-duty troops aged 30 and older would have to undergo annual testosterone deficiency screenings as part of their regular health assessments ¹.

From Channel GOPObama: Republicans would never accept banning Fox NewsBarack Obama · 134 plays · captioned, with the source named

“These are not serious people,” Obama said. “And the problem is, you end up having to pay the price for their lack of seriousness.” Newsweek said it had contacted the White House and the Pentagon for comment ¹.

Prices and the Strait of Hormuz

Obama tied the war to costs at home. He pointed to Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil, and said it is the reason oil and diesel prices are up ¹. He also blamed tariffs, saying consumers ultimately pay for them ¹.

Obama’s attack came after Trump repeatedly described the conflict as something less than a war. At an Oct. 16 rally in Georgia, Trump called it a “military exercise.” In September he told reporters it was a military conflict, not a war ¹.

I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing.

What happens next

Ohio is a state Obama carried in 2008 and 2012. Brown is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Jon Husted, while Acton is running for governor ¹. The Cleveland rally was billed as the kickoff of the final stretch, with 10 days left before Election Day ¹.

Obama had earlier endorsed Brown and said the Senate race could decide which party controls the chamber ¹. Republicans now hold the House, the Senate and the White House.

That matters because the war is now part of the case Democrats are making on prices and on how the military is run. Whether voters agree is what the Nov. 3 election will test. Obama’s remarks are a political argument from a Democrat, and the administration’s response was not yet available ¹.

The Record

1. Jul 1, 2026Hegseth announced annual testosterone deficiency screenings for active-duty troops aged 30 and older (announced in July) ¹.
2. Oct 16, 2026Trump called the Iran conflict a 'military exercise' at a Georgia rally ¹.
3. Oct 24, 2026Obama rallied in Cleveland with Brown and Acton and attacked the administration's Iran war ¹².

Sources

1. Newsweek, “Obama Tears Into Trump, Hegseth Over Iran War: ‘Not Serious People’” (2026-10-24). newsweek.com/barack-obama-trump-hegseth-iran-war-12614985
2. WFMJ, “WATCH LIVE: Barack Obama rallies with Sherrod Brown, Amy Acton in Cleveland” (2026-10-24). wfmj.com/news/local-news/watch-live-barack-obama-rallies-wit

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