Yes
He can.
No
He can’t.
With the 2026 midterm elections rapidly approaching, former President Barack Obama is once again becoming part of the national political conversation as Democrats look for ways to energize voters and challenge Republicans for control of Congress.
The stakes are particularly high for President Donald Trump. Republicans currently control Congress, meaning the results in November could have a major impact on Trump’s ability to advance his agenda during the remaining years of his presidency. A change in congressional control could produce a dramatically different political environment in Washington.
Trump himself remains one of the biggest forces driving voter enthusiasm on both sides. Recent polling indicates that Democratic voters are heavily motivated by opposition to the president, while many Republican voters view supporting GOP congressional candidates as a way of supporting Trump and his administration.
That dynamic makes the involvement of prominent Democratic figures especially noteworthy. Obama remains one of the Democratic Party’s most recognizable national figures years after leaving the White House. His ability to attract media attention, raise money and speak directly to Democratic voters gives the party another high-profile voice as campaigning enters its final stretch.
Republicans, meanwhile, are working to keep voters focused on Trump’s agenda and the policies they say a Republican-controlled Congress is needed to protect. Trump recently took center stage at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, where Democratic candidates and the direction of the opposition party were major themes.
The larger battle is about much more than two former political rivals. Control of the House and Senate will determine which party controls congressional committees, legislation, investigations and, in the Senate, the confirmation process for presidential nominees.
Obama and Trump have represented competing political movements for years, and their continued prominence demonstrates how much both men still influence their respective parties.
As Democrats attempt to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the administration and Republicans work to defend their congressional majorities, voters will ultimately determine whether outside campaigning by a former president makes a meaningful difference.