PITTSBURGH – Describing himself as “shape-shifting guy” — Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris in an Oakland neighborhood on Thursday and spent most of his 40-minute speech addressing former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee.
“I can’t “I understand why anyone would think that Donald Trump would turn things around in a way that would be good for you, Pennsylvania,” Obama said, “because there is absolutely no evidence that this man is thinking about anyone other than himself. I’ve said it before: Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped complaining about his problems since he rode down the golden escalator nine years ago.
He mocked Trump’s “all-caps tweets, tirades and ravings about crazy conspiracy theories, two-hour speeches, word salad” and his “constant attempts to sell you stuff.” Who does it? I’m selling you gold sneakers and a $100,000 watch, and most recently a Trump Bible. He wants you to find the word of God through Trump. I have his name right next to Matthew and Luke.
“The reason he does this is because the only thing he cares about is his ego, money and status. He’s not thinking about you,” Obama said.
Obama spoke at the Fitzgerald Field House on the University of Pittsburgh campus, and a line of people stretched down the street and around the block in the hours before he took the stage. Harris’ campaign said 4,500 people attended the rally.
Most Americans say the most crucial issue for them in 2024 is the economy, something Trump lashed out at Harris over, claiming she and President Joe Biden are to blame. Obama acknowledged that “prices for everything from health care to housing to groceries remain too high. This really takes a bite out of your paycheck.
But he said Trump shouldn’t be praised for the good economy.
“Some people think, ‘I don’t know, I remember the economy was pretty good when he first came into office,’” Obama said. “It was pretty good because it was my economy! We gave him 75 months of continuous employment growth. I spent eight years cleaning up the mess the Republicans left me last time.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gov. Austin Davis and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey were present and spoke at Thursday’s rally. They were greeted by a raucous crowd that stomped their feet to show their approval, creating a thunderous noise in the arena, especially as Obama spoke.
Throughout most of his speech, Obama’s tone was mocking and he mocked Trump: “Can you imagine Donald Trump changing a tire?” — and ridiculed him for his comment about having a “concept of a plan” to overturn the Affordable Care Act. But Obama turned somber as he began talking about the devastation Hurricane Helene left in North Carolina.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris met with local officials there and comforted families and asked how they could help,” Obama said. “And Donald Trump at the rally just started making up stories about the Biden administration withholding aid from Republican areas and siphoning off aid to illegal immigrants. I just made stuff up. “Everybody knew it wasn’t true, even the local Republicans said it wasn’t true.”
He urged viewers to watch what is happening after Hurricane Milton, which hit the west coast of Florida on Wednesday night.
“Just like last time, you’re going to have leaders who are going to try to help and then you’re going to have a guy who can just lie to score political points,” he said. “And this has consequences because people are afraid, they have lost everything and they are wondering how to ask for help? Someone may become discouraged from getting the help they need. The idea of deliberately deceiving people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments. And my question is: when did everything become okay?”
Obama also criticized the Republican Party for agreeing with Trump’s behavior. “Donald Trump lies, cheats or shows complete disregard for our Constitution, and when he calls prisoners of war losers or fellow citizens vermin, people make excuses for it,” he said. “They think, well, at least he owns the libraries. He’s really pushing it on them. Everything is fine as long as our side wins.”
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But, Obama said, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are candidates who “know what real power is, who will do the right thing and leave this country better than they found it,” he said. “It’s not just about voting politics, it’s about values. It’s about character.
“So whether this election makes you excited, scared or hopeful somewhere in between, get off the couch and vote,” he said in conclusion. “Put your phone down and vote. Bring your friends and family and vote.”
There is certainly no love lost between Trump and Obama. Trump repeated the lie about Obama’s birth during his presidency, claiming he was not born in the US, a conspiracy theory that has been debunked. Obama later teased Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner while Trump was in the audience.
Obama won Pennsylvania in 2008 and 2012, but Trump flipped the state red in 2016. Biden defeated Trump by about 80,000 votes in 2020.
Thursday was a campaign kickoff for Obama, who remains popular with Democrats in battleground states. He and Harris have been friends for 20 years, and Harris was an early supporter of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Harris traveled to Iowa to knock on doors for the caucuses that Obama won. Then-President Obama later endorsed Harris in her 2016 bid for the U.S. Senate, which she won easily.
The two have remained in touch since then, with Obama acting as an advisor and providing advice when asked. He and Michelle Obama have endorsed Harris from the start, and the former president has offered to support her campaign if necessary.
Obama delivered a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, praising Harris as ready to become president and criticizing Trump.
‘Hope Returns’: Obamas Support Kamala Harris
The Trump campaign was critical of Obama’s campaign for Harris on Thursday, saying it showed that “all is not well for Democrats” and noting the former president’s deal for a Martha’s Vineyard house and a Netflix production.
“And while it will probably be a slightly less crazy deal than what Kamala’s other surrogates are doing to move the needle, Obama’s visit will not convince Pennsylvanians to vote for another four years of open borders, rising prices and disasters at home and abroad,” she said. Trump campaign spokeswoman Kush Desai said in a statement.
Pittsburgh was Obama’s first pre-election appearance for the Harris campaign, but his office said he helped raise $80 million for her campaign. He will continue to be involved in the final weeks of the campaign.
Obama supported other Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. Casey was released on Thursday ad featuring Obamain which he praises Casey’s fight against corporate price gouging, or “greedflation.”
“People are suffering now. Meanwhile, corporations are reporting record profits. My friend Bob Casey is standing up,” Obama says in the ad, calling the three-term senator “Pennsylvania through and through.”
Obama also offered support this cycle His. Jacky Rosen in Nevada, Rep. Elisa Slotkin, candidate for US Senate in Michigan, Angela AlsobrooksU.S. Senate candidate in Maryland and Debbie Mucarsel-PowellU.S. Senate candidate in Florida.
Before the rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus, Obama visited the campaign’s Pittsburgh field office to thank volunteers and said he wanted to talk to black men who are perceived as unsympathetic to Harris’ candidacy.
“We have not yet seen the same type of energy and turnout across all districts and communities as when I was running,” Obama said, according to Pool reports. He added that apathy “seems to be more pronounced with brothers.
“You come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses, I have a problem with that,” he said. “Because part of it makes me think – and I’m speaking directly to men – part of it makes me think that you’re just not comfortable with the idea of a woman becoming president and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons.”
Obama said the November election gives voters a choice between “someone who grew up like you, know you, went to college and understands the struggles, pain and joy of those experiences” or someone “who has consistently shown disregard for not only for the community, but for you as a person.”
The former president also rallied the audience on Thursday with a familiar response to their boos when he mentioned Trump. “Don’t buzz. Vote,” he said.
The last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania for the 2024 election is October 21.
This article was updated at 1:47 am on October 11, 2024 with additional information from pool reports.
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