The Former president of United State, Barack Obama on Thursday made a direct appeal to Black men to support Vice President Kamala Harris. Washington Post reported that Obama gave the pep talk at an unannounced stop at a Harris campaign field office in Pittsburgh, directing his speech specifically at the black men stating he wants to “speak some truth” while addressing their hesitancy in supporting the Vice President Harris. “My understanding, based on reports I’m getting from campaigns and communities, is that 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,” Obama said, adding that it “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.” He questioned how black voters specifically, could be on the fence about supporting Harris over former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee reasoning with them: “On the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, and understands the struggles and pain and joy that comes from those experiences.” And against Trump, he added: “you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person … And you are thinking about sitting out?” According to the Washington Post, the former president then spoke about what he thought might be contributing to Black men’s soft support of Harris: the discomfort of some with the idea of electing the first female president. “And 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.” Obama being America’s first Black president urged others like him to rally behind potentially the first woman of color to ascend to the White House. The “women in our lives have been getting our backs this entire time. When we get in trouble and the system isn’t working for us, they’re the ones out there marching and protesting. And now, you’re thinking about sitting out or supporting somebody who has a history of denigrating you, because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down? That’s not acceptable.” He admonishes. Obama began hitting the campaign trail Thursday, stopping first in the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania, which is central to Harris’s chances of victory. In all seven battleground states — which also include Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona — Trump and Harris are effectively tied, as the Harris campaign has said it expects a tightly contested presidential race that will come down to razor-thin margins. Trump and his allies have said he is making inroads with Black men, even as Black women have rallied around Harris, because they recognize that his economic plans would benefit all Americans. Washington Post indicated Obama’s message to Black men on Thursday marked a departure from the upbeat and joyful message Harris, her running mate Tim Walz and other surrogates have adopted in their efforts to motivate the small number of undecided voters. During his rally at the University of Pittsburgh, Obama strongly criticized Trump’s character. While he said he understood that many voters were seeking change, particularly after struggling with high prices, he said he could not understand how people could look to Trump and think the former president would offer something better. “There is absolutely no evidence that this man thinks about anybody but himself,” Obama said. “I’ve said it before: Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.” Obama addressed a packed crowd at the University of Pittsburgh’s Fitzgerald Field House, where people waited in lines for hours before his speech. Many of his lines attacking Trump and urging people to vote were met with screams and cheers. The former president accused Trump of being a grifter and at one point comparing him with former Cuban president Fidel Castro — “ranting and raving about crazy conspiracy theories, the two-hour speeches, word salad,” Obama said of the supposed similarities. Addressing the men at the rally, he said: “I’m sorry, gentlemen — I’ve noticed this, especially with some men who seem to think Trump’s behavior, the bullying and the putting people down, is a sign of strength,” he said. “I am here to tell you that is not what real strength is and has never been.” He implored people in Pittsburgh to go vote along with their friends and families: “Get off your couch and vote. Put down your phone and vote. Grab your friends and family and vote.” Aides said Obama and Harris are likely to appear together at some point before the election on Nov. 5, but it is not yet clear when as the committee are also targeting people who have not yet decided whether to vote — particularly young voters and people of color. Harris and Obama have a relationship that dates back about 20 years, an Obama aide said. The two first met on the campaign trail when Obama was running a long-shot bid for one of Illinois’s U.S. Senate seats and Harris was an early supporter. Since 2020, when Harris became President Joe Biden’s running mate, Obama has been in regular touch with Harris “to provide counsel and be a sounding board whenever asked,” the Obama aide said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personal relationship. The two have also been in regular touch since Harris launched her presidential bid less than three months ago after Biden’s exit from the presidential race. Obama told Harris he would help her in the final months and weeks of the campaign, including with fundraising, policy or strategic advice and hitting the campaign trail, the Obama aide said.
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