Former President Barack Obama gave a strong speech against Donald Trump during the Kamala Harris rally, this Thursday (10), in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Obama has been a strong supporter of Kamala since she took charge of the Democratic flame.
The former president, whose term in the White House ended in 2017, is still popular among his party’s base. The rally is the first of several events he plans to hold in swing states in the coming weeks.
“I understand why people are looking to shake things up,” Obama told a crowd of supporters. “I understand people feeling frustrated, feeling like ‘we can do better.’ What I can’t understand is why anyone would think Donald Trump is going to shake things up in a way that’s good for you, Pennsylvania.”
Obama said Trump only cared about his own ego and money. He emphasized that Kamala was raised middle class and believed in American values, which contrasted with Trump’s false truths and deliberate attempts to deceive, including recently over the U.S. government’s response to hurricanes.
“When did it become good?” Obama asked.
He declared that the election is as much about character and values as it is politics, while highlighting Kamala’s “concrete plans” on housing and taxes. “Kamala is so prepared for the job more than any other presidential candidate,” he said. “With Kamala you have real plans. Trump – concepts of a plan.”
Obama also targeted male voters. Kamala’s campaign is fighting to secure votes from men, and Obama said some men were accepting Trump’s bullying behavior as a sign of strength.
Rural and young voters
Obama isn’t the only former president Kamala’s campaign plans to deploy on the campaign trail.
Bill Clinton, like Obama, a two-term Democratic president as well as a former governor of Arkansas, will hold rallies in Georgia on Sunday and Monday before traveling to North Carolina for a bus tour later in the week in a effort to reach rural voters.
Young people are among a critical part of the coalition that Kamala’s campaign hopes to propel to victory. But voter registration among young people in 34 states is down compared to four years ago, according to updated data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University.
The number of people ages 18 to 29 registered to vote in Pennsylvania in September was 15%, lower than on Election Day in 2020, the center’s data showed.
“I understand why some young people feel discouraged and maybe not as passionate about politics or their interest in voting,” said AJ Herzog, 27, citing the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.
“I think people feel, like, hopeless in certain cases where it doesn’t matter who they vote for, it’s just more of the same. But I think there is more opportunity for change with Kamala Harris as president than with Donald Trump.”
Obama’s engagement could help motivate young people in the final stretch of the campaign. The former president has tried to serve as a rallying point for Democratic candidates before, with events for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020, especially late in the election cycle when early voting began, as it has now.
The Trump campaign rejected Obama’s remarks and influence.
“If anyone cared what Obama said, Hillary Clinton would have been president,” said Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt.
Obama helped raise $80 million for the 2024 presidential campaign, according to an aide.
He and his wife, Michelle, gave speeches in support of Kamala at the Democratic National Convention in August; The former first lady is also expected to hold campaign events.
Obama is seen by some as having helped knock Biden out of the race after Democrats’ concerns about the 81-year-old leader’s age and abilities soared following his June debate against Trump.
This content was originally published in Obama holds rally in support of Kamala Harris and criticizes Trump on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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