Barack Obama is urging Black men to step up their support for Kamala Harris, a sign that her campaign is worried about what is typically a reliable demographic for Democrats.
Referencing reports that support for Harris is lagging among Black males, the former president gave what amounted to a scolding as he made an unscheduled stop at a campaign field office in Pittsburgh.
“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, I’ve got a problem with that,” he said. “Because part of it makes me think— and I’m speaking to men directly— part of it makes me think that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.
The former president is the most popular figure in the Democratic Party and his campaign blitz was expected to inject a jolt of momentum in the final weeks of the race — capturing some of the energy that propelled his historic rise to the White House. But it has also surfaced some weakness in Harris’ own history-making effort.
Obama told volunteers that a lack of enthusiasm appeared to be “more pronounced” among Black men who will be key if she hopes to triumph over Donald Trump, especially in battleground Pennsylvania.
“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all quarters of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” he said, according to a video of the remarks posted on social media.
He went on to make the case that Harris is someone who “grew up like you.”
The former president is embarking on a battleground state tour stumping for Harris, which began Thursday in Pittsburgh, a city known as a bastion of organized labor, another key constituency.
Obama dismissed Trump’s claims to a strong economy, noting that the Republican benefited from economic recovery policies put in place during his presidency. “I had spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans had left me the last time,” he said.
He contrasted that with Harris, who he said is “ready to do the job.”
Black men this cycle have expressed frustration with the Harris campaign, and some have said the efforts Democrats have put forth are underwhelming or sometimes even condescending.
Obama, who won Pennsylvania during both his presidential runs in 2008 and 2012 thanks in part to record high turnout among voters of color, suggested that these potential voters were making excuses for not wanting to vote for Harris, a woman who has already made history when she was elected vice president.
In addition to Pennsylvania, Democrats have ramped up outreach efforts to Black men in Michigan and Wisconsin, two other battleground states Harris is working to keep blue.
Detroit, Milwaukee and Philadelphia have large Black populations and high turnout in those cities could be critical to Harris’ chances of winning the election in less than three weeks.
Earlier on Thursday, Trump appeared in Detroit, where he warned that “our whole country will end up like Detroit” if Harris is elected president. “You’re going to have a mess on your hands.”
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