Americanswers… on 5 Live! Can Barack Obama still win votes for the Democrats?

About this episode

Can a star appearance from Barack Obama convince voters to send a Democrat to the Senate in Michigan, and beyond? A clip from Obama’s appearance has gone viral after he took aim at Donald Trump’s new White House ballroom - saying the president had made the White House look like "Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory". Despite the former president’s broad appeal across the US, how will it have gone down with voters in Michigan, some of whom were unhappy with comments he made in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Also rapper Nicki Minaj said US president Donald Trump has “changed the energy of the country" as she joined him at a Michigan rally to campaign for Republicans ahead of the nationwide midterm elections. Minaj has called herself Trump's "number one fan" despite criticising some of his policies in his first term. We also look at why Alaska’s senate race is being legally challenged by the Trump administration before the results are in, and why Pete Hegseth’s team are being accused of literally “dropping the ball”. Plus, Brazil's veteran left-wing president Lula has claimed a surprise victory in the country’s presidential election by defeating his right-w