President Barack Obama Speaks in Virginia
Rally in Norfolk just days before Election Day.
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, former President Barack Obama spoke at a rally for Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Nominee Abigail Spanberger.
Former President Barack Obama energized supporters in Norfolk, Virginia as he campaigned for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger. In his speech, Obama sharply criticized the current White House for its daily chaos and mismanagement, while highlighting Spanberger’s vision for the state and the importance of voter participation.
During the rally in Norfolk, Virginia, Obama put it plainly: “I did warn y’all, but here we are. I remember standing up here a few years back and saying, Look, our democracy is fragile. If you give in to fear, to scapegoating, to putting power over principle, you are going to end up with leaders who treat the government like their own personal playground. And now, we see it every day on the news.”
President Barack Obama Speaks at Rally for Abigail Spanberger.
He added, “It feels like every day is Halloween, except it’s all tricks and no treats, right? There is never a day where you wake up and think, well, at least today’s not weirder than yesterday. Because it always is.”
He addressed Trump’s conduct with specific examples: “We got a president who thinks it’s okay to use the Justice Department to go after his political opponents. If you had told me ten years ago I’d be watching weird videos of a U.S. president with a crown on his head, flying a fighter jet, dumping poop on protesting citizens, I would have thought you were pitching a bad movie. But that’s our reality; that’s where the bar is now.”
Obama also poked fun at what the Trump administration finds important: “And as for the president, while families are worried about making rent and paying for groceries, he’s been focused on really critical issues like paving over the rose garden so folks don’t get mud on their shoes, gold plating the Oval Office, and building a ballroom. That is not leadership, folks.
“If nothing else, the last nine months should have cured us of the idea that elections don’t matter. The stakes are now clear. We all have more power than we think, and now is the time to use it. All of us deciding what kind of Virginia, what kind of country, we want to wake up to tomorrow.”
In the final moments, Obama made it clear the future is in the hands of voters, and that includes showing up for Abigail Spanberger.
Abigail Spanberger is running for Governor of Virginia. Learn more at abigailspanberger.com.
