On Thursday, former President Barack Obama called out black men for not passionately supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, as they did for his runs in 2008 and 2012, citing that some black men have doubts about her because she is a woman.

Before a rally in Pittsburgh, Obama popped in at a local campaign office and said to a group of black volunteers, "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 continued, "Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So, if you don't mind, just for a second, I've got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean, when on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles, pain, and joy that comes from those experiences."

Obama added that people are coming up with "all kinds of reasons and excuses" to stay home or support a candidate other than Harris. "Part of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… 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."

According to Fox News, as Obama was standing with some black men in the campaign office, he told them that Trump has “consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person – And you are thinking about sitting out?”

The move was reminiscent of then-presidential candidate Joe Biden criticizing black Americans for not supporting him in the 2020 election, when he said black Americans, if they were not voting for him, “ain’t black”

During a May 2020 interview on "The Breakfast Club," Biden said, "If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black."

Pennsylvania Team Trump spokesman Kush Desai remarked to Fox News that polls must not be looking good for Harris in the state if Democrats have to "fly in Barack Obama from his $12 million Martha’s Vineyard estate" to a rally for Harris.