Obama tells Democrats ‘Sulking and moping is not an option’ ahead of midterm elections

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Top Democrats warned voters during campaign rallies on Saturday that abortion access, Social Security and democracy are on the ballot as the nation prepares for the midterm elections this week.

“Sulking and moping is not an option,” former President Barack Obama told Democratic voters in Pittsburgh. “On Tuesday, let’s make sure our country doesn’t get set back 50 years.”

Obama and President Joe Biden shared the stage later in the day in Philadelphia in what marked the first time the two had campaigned together since Biden took office.

Pennsylvania’s Senate race between Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz will be crucial in determining which party controls the upper chamber of Congress. Fetterman holds a 45% to 42% edge in the latest FOX News poll.

FOX NEWS POLL: HALF OF PENNSYLVANIANS SAY SENATE DEBATE A FACTOR IN THEIR VOTE

Oz, who has attempted to paint himself as a moderate, has momentum in the polls amid his opponent’s recovery from a stroke and following last month’s debate. Fetterman has struggled with auditory processing issues and speaking clearly ever since he suffered the stroke in May.

“I’ll be the 51st vote to eliminate the filibuster, to raise the minimum wage. Please send Dr. Oz back to New Jersey,” Fetterman said, referring to Oz’s former residence.

Biden’s speech was similar to remarks has been delivering for weeks, highlighting legislative wins like the approval of the Inflation Reduction Act while also claiming that a Republican-led Congress would look to strip abortion access, voting rights, Social Security and Medicare.

“I lived in Pennsylvania longer than Oz has lived in Pennsylvania, and I moved away when I was 10 years old,” the president said.

The same FOX News poll has Democrat gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro with a sizable 53% to 37% lead over Republican Doug Mastriano.

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Former President Donald Trump also campaigned in Pennsylvania on Saturday in support of Oz and Mastriano. At the rally, the former Republican president displayed his poll numbers on the big screen and referred to Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Trump and DeSantis are considered the favorites for the Republican nomination in the next presidential primary.

Trump also pushed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him and warned of voter fraud in Tuesday’s election. He further hinted at a 2024 White House run.

“Everybody, I promise you, in the very next — very, very, very short period of time, you’re going to be happy,” Trump said. “But first we have to win a historic victory for Republicans on November 8.”

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In New York, where incumbent Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul is battling GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin in what has become a tightly contested gubernatorial race, former President Bill Clinton stopped by to stump for the governor.

Despite the deep-blue voter makeup of New York, Hochul’s job is up for grabs due in large part to concerns about the state’s rise in crime. But Clinton claimed Republicans’ focus on crime is politically motivated.

“But what are the Republicans really saying? ‘I want you to be scared, and I want you to be mad. And the last thing I want you to do is think,'” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.