Barack Obama accused black male voters who refuse to support Kamala Harris of sexism and demanded they rally behind the Democratic candidate.
The former president was at a campaign office in Pittsburgh to thank volunteers, but instead gave them a lecture, saying he wanted to “tell some truths.”
Obama said he was responding to reports on the ground that there was less enthusiasm for Harris than for his own candidacy and that some black men were considering sitting out the election.
‘We have yet to see the same kind of energy and participation across all sectors of our neighborhoods and communities that we saw when I was a candidate. Now I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with brothers,” Obama said.
He continued: “Part of it makes me think – and I’m talking directly to men – part of it makes me think that, well, you just don’t feel the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re going to come. “I think there are other alternatives and other reasons for it.”
You come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I have a problem with that.’
Barack Obama accused black voters who refuse to support Kamala Harris of sexism and demanded that they join the Democratic candidate.
Obama said he was responding to reports on the ground that there was less enthusiasm for Harris than for his own candidacy and that some black men were considering sitting out the election.
Media reports have suggested that black male voters are a weak point for Harris, after Joe Biden won 80% in 2020, up from 82% for Hillary Clinton in 2015.
It has been reported that A quarter of young black people support Trump.which would make Harris fall even further.
The former president said the choice between Trump and Harris was ‘clear’ and that Harris understands the struggle of black men and has achieved the vice presidency based on those struggles.
“On the one hand, you have someone who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, understands the struggles and the pain and the joy that comes from those experiences,” he said of Harris.
He then claimed that Trump’s penchant for putting people down was not a real strength.
‘Are you thinking about sitting down or supporting someone who has a history of putting you down, because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Despise women? That is not acceptable,” Obama said.
The former Democratic president made the battleground state of Pennsylvania the first stop on his campaign tour with less than four weeks left until Election Day and while voting is already underway.
Polls leading up to Obama’s appearance in Pittsburgh revealed that he is a more popular figure than Harris in Pennsylvania.
The former president is also more popular than Trump.
The Emerson College poll conducted with The Hill found that 55 percent of Pennsylvania residents view Obama positively compared to 48 percent for Harris and 50 percent for Trump.
The former president said Trump’s penchant for putting people down was not his true strength.
Polls leading up to Obama’s appearance in Pittsburgh revealed that he is a more popular figure than Harris in Pennsylvania. The former president is also more popular than Trump
Obama also received higher ratings than the two presidential hopefuls in the key states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan, meaning he could be a useful voice in all battlegrounds.
But Pennsylvania, dubbed the swing state, will likely be the key to either Harris or Trump’s victory on Nov. 5, as the path to 270 electoral votes becomes highly unlikely if a candidate loses it.
At a rally at the University of Pittsburgh, he described Trump as out of touch and not the choice to lead the country to change, calling him a “clumsy” billionaire “who hasn’t stopped complaining about his problems since he fell.” its golden escalator nine years ago.
He also made a crude joke at President Donald Trump during his first solo campaign event for Kamala Harris that backfired spectacularly.
Speaking at the University of Pittsburgh on Thursday night, Obama hinted that he believed Trump, 78, wore adult diapers.
Obama, 63, recalled that he couldn’t believe how expensive diapers were when he became a father. ‘Do you think Donald Trump has ever changed a diaper?’ he reflected.
‘Yours!’ shouted one audience member.
“I almost said that, but I decided I shouldn’t say it,” Obama said, laughing.
Social media criticized former President Barack Obama’s crude joke at President Donald Trump during his first solo outing on the campaign trail in support of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Social media was not amused, with at least one X user making a tongue-in-cheek reference to the president’s former running mate: ‘Obama would know how to change diapers.’ He does it with Joe.
Obama also tried to shore up Harris in areas where polls show her weak, including the economy and immigration.
The former Democratic president highlighted how Trump gets credit for a good economy during his time in office.
“Yeah, it was pretty good, because it was my economy,” Obama boasted. “It wasn’t something he did.”
“I spent eight years cleaning up the mess the Republicans left me,” Obama added.
Obama took office in 2009 on the heels of a financial crisis due to predatory home lending to low-income borrowers.
Trump has made immigration his top issue in 2024, as he did when he first ran for the White House eight years ago.
“When I hear Donald Trump speak, I have a question,” Obama said.
The crowd supporting former President Barack Obama gathered Thursday at Fitzgerald Field House on the University of Pittsburgh campus.
‘As I remember, Donald Trump was president for four years. And if arresting and deporting millions of desperate people and building the beautiful wall – and it didn’t matter if some of those people you arrested were women and children – if that’s the answer to everything, well, why didn’t you solve the problem? problem?’ the Democrat asked.
Obama later noted that the number of immigrants was “basically the same” at the beginning and end of Trump’s term.
‘I’ll tell you why. Because I didn’t have a real plan. I had talking points. “I had concepts of a plan,” Obama said.
“And the plan was petty and ugly and designed to improve their politics and make people angry, not to solve the problem,” he continued.
Obama argued that what would have really made the border secure was the bipartisan agreement supported by Harris and President Joe Biden thanks to Trump’s help in Congress.
The former president also drew attention to recent hurricanes, noting that Asheville, North Carolina, “one of my favorite places in the country,” was “devastated” by Helene.
Later, at a rally, Trump “just started making up stories,” Obama said, and the Republican falsely claimed that aid was being withheld from Republican areas and that FEMA funds were going to undocumented immigrants.
‘I just made things up. Everyone knew it wasn’t true. “Even local Republicans said it wasn’t true,” Obama said.
Obama also tried to shore up Harris in areas where polls show her weak, including the economy and immigration.
Obama and Harris have worked together for decades in Democratic politics
‘The idea of intentionally trying to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments. And my question is: when was that okay? the former president asked.
“I’m not looking for applause right now,” Obama told the audience as they began to applaud. ‘I want to ask Republicans right now… when was that okay? Why would we accept that?’
The 44th president also addressed the Pittsburgh crowd, speaking of how much he loves pamela’s pancakes -a crepe-like delicacy- the late Dan Rooney, Obama’s ambassador to Ireland and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and how he cheered for that NFL franchise as a child.
Obama’s opening remarks included several Pennsylvania Democrats, including the state’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, a finalist to be Harris’ running mate.