Barack Obama has warned that black voters are not supporting Kamala Harris in the way Democrats are hoping they would.
Obama raised the alarm Thursday before a rally in Pennsylvania.
The former president warned that Harris is behind in “turnout” numbers compared to when he was running.
He said Harris is particularly behind in the black community.
Polls show a tight race between Harris and President Donald Trump in key swing states.
Some pollsters are now cautioning Democrats about Harris’s declining support.
Before stepping on stage at one of Harris’s rallies, Obama told reporters that they are not yet seeing the same energy in Pennsylvania communities as during his presidential campaign.
“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 you saw when I was running,” Obama said.
“Now, I also want to say that it seems more pronounced with the brothers.”
WATCH:
Wow – Obama sounds the alarm, says blacks are not excited about Kamala pic.twitter.com/yOLZ6FnTHy
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 10, 2024
In the 2012 presidential race, Obama won Pennsylvania by 5.4 points, according to RealClearPolling.
He secured 52% of the state’s vote compared to 46.6% for former Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
In that same year, Obama garnered 93% support from black voters, according to data from the Roper Center.
Obama was just two points shy of the 95% he received in 2008 against Republican candidate John McCain.
Despite gaining majority support from black voters, Harris faces challenges as President Donald Trump continues to appeal to this key voting bloc.
Recently, data from the Howard University Initiative shows that Trump’s support among black men has surged to 16%.
A NAACP poll released on September 13 also found that more than one-quarter of young black men among 1,000 registered black voters surveyed said they would support Trump over Harris.
While on stage Thursday evening, Obama pleaded with black men in Pennsylvania to back Harris, The Washington Post reported.
He questioned how voters, honing in on black voters, could be undecided on who to vote for come this November.
“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.
He then added that with Trump, “you have someone who has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person.”
The polling average from RealClearPolling currently shows Trump with a 0.3 lead over Harris in Pennsylvania.
