Donald Trump, Barack Obama square off in whirlwind weekend before midterm elections

Washington CNN — President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama traded blow after blow as they crossed the country in the final weekend of campaigning before Tuesday’s midterm elections. “The character of our country is on the ballot.” Democrats are expected to make major gains in the House – potentially taking majority control of the chamber – and to win back governors’ offices and state legislatures that the GOP used to draw districts and pass voting laws that locked in their congressional majority during Obama’s tenure in office. Trump also falsely claimed Democrats are urging “caravan after caravan” to head to the border and vaguely referenced conspiracy theories about the migrant group, saying, “Ask yourself, how do you think they formed?” Obama courts minority voters Obama, meanwhile, sought to turn out black voters in Gary, Indiana – a city next door to Chicago where Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly needs strong turnout Tuesday – and in his hometown of Chicago, where Democrats hope to oust a Republican governor and several House members. In Florida, Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee in another marquee governor’s race, responded to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue calling the race “cotton-pickin’ important” at a campaign event Saturday for Gillum’s Republican rival, Rep. Ron DeSantis.