Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Vice President Harris in Pennsylvania on Thursday, slamming former President Donald Trump as polls show the two candidates deadlocked in the battleground state.
Mr. Obama attacked Mr. Trump on a variety of areas, including health care, abortion access, immigration and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The former Democratic president criticized the Republican president's character and personality, at one point comparing him to the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
The event was part of a major campaign planned by President Obama in the final month of the campaign to support Democrats' closing message to voters.
The former Democratic president acknowledged the damage caused by hurricanes Helen and Milton in the southeastern part of the country and accused President Trump of spreading disinformation about the federal government's response to the hurricanes.
“There are leaders who are trying to help, and there are others who just lie to score political points. This has consequences,” President Obama said.
“The idea that we would intentionally try to deceive people in their most desperate and vulnerable moments, my question is, since when did that become OK?” Obama said.
The rally comes as polls show Pennsylvania, a state seen as key to victory in November, deadlocked between Harris and Trump. Emerson College polls and The Hill polls released Thursday give Trump a one-point lead, while the Hill/Decision Desk average shows Harris with a 0.7 percentage point lead. There is.
Mr. Obama is considered one of the Democratic Party's most powerful figures, and is probably still considered the party's most popular figure. President Obama's favorability rating in Pennsylvania was 55 percent, according to the same Emerson College Poll and The Hill poll. Forty-eight percent of likely Pennsylvania voters said they viewed Harris favorably, and 50% said the same about Trump.
Democrats have expressed concern about Harris' polling with men, including black and Latino men. President Obama used the rally Thursday to appeal directly to male voters.
“I've noticed that some men seem to think President Trump's bullying and degrading of people is a sign of strength,” Obama said. “And I'm here to tell you that that's not real strength. I want to say that.”
Much of President Obama's speech focused on economic messages aimed at people who have struggled during the past few years of high inflation. He said the country had been through a lot since the pandemic began, calling it “a disaster.”[ed] It wreaked havoc on communities and businesses, and sparked inflation as the country resumed normal activities.
“I understand that people are frustrated and feel we can do better,” he said. “What I don't understand, Pennsylvania, is why anyone would think Donald Trump would change things for the better for you.
“Because there's absolutely no evidence that this man cares about anyone but himself,” he continued.
Mr. Obama claimed that Mr. Trump's economic plan consisted of “massive” tax cuts for the wealthy, not caring that the middle class would have to “pay the price.” President Trump is seeking to extend and deepen the tax cuts he signed into law as president, which expire next year.
Meanwhile, Harris has proposed a $50,000 tax credit for new small businesses, $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time home buyers, and further work to lower the statute of limitations. He said his focus is on supporting the middle class and working class. drug prices.
The former president also used the rally as an opportunity to put Trump on the defensive on abortion, an issue that has become a favorite for Democrats in Pennsylvania and across the country.
“It's very interesting to see Donald Trump putting himself in a pretzel on this issue,” he said. “He hand-picked three of the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, went out there and bragged about it, and now Trump's abortions are banned in 20 states.”
He also acknowledged the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the country has “real problems” that need to be resolved. He argued that the immigration system needs to be fair while ensuring communities along the border are not crowded, and that a bipartisan border bill was likely to move forward before Trump pressed Republicans against it. He added that President Trump is not serious about solving the problem. That will cause failure.
Obama said Trump's reaction is to claim that rounding up immigrants and deporting them is the solution to the country's problems.
“He didn't have a real plan. He had a talking point. He had a concept of a plan, but the plan was sneaky and ugly and didn't solve the problem. “It was aimed at strengthening his politics and angering people.”
