Former President Barack Obama did not hold back in his message Black men as he continues to show support for Kamala Harris. As he delivered his message During his stop at a campaign field office in Pittsburgh on Thursday, Obama said he came to “speak some truths.”
“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,” he said, adding that the lack of support for Harris “seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”
According to NPR, Obama has been heavily focused on rallying voters in Pittsburg, where the polls show a tight race between Harris and Donald Trump. The former president said in his speech on Thursday that voting for Trump is not a viable option and neither is sitting out.
“And you are thinking about sitting out?” he said. “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.”
Speaking to undecided voters, Obama said it shouldn’t be a difficult choice between Trump and Harris. The 63-year-old said Harris, who is Black and Asian American, is focused on affordable housing and health care, as well as other policies that will help Black communities.
“On the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, knows you, went to college with you, understands the struggles and pain and joy that comes from those experiences,” Obama said. “And on the other side, you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person.”
Obama unleashed a heavy amount of criticism against Trump as he continued with his message in Pittsburgh.
“You are going to have leaders who try to help and then you have a guy who will just lie about it to score political points and this has consequences,” Obama said, according to CNN. “When did that become OK?”
