Barack Obama is facing backlash over his stern message to black men who are considering a vote for Donald Trump - with some calling Obama's comments condescending as Kamala Harris scrambles to lock down support from the black community.
At his first campaign stop for Harris last week, Obama lectured "the brothers" over their reluctance to support Harris and suggested sexism was to blame.
Obama's comments were a response to mounting fears that Democrats are losing support with men, particularly black and Hispanic men.
A Howard University poll found Harris has support from 84% of black likely voters, but only 59% of black men.
Despite Obama's popularity in the black community, not everyone is convinced that a lecture is what will motivate ambivalent black men to show up for Harris.
Obama's message has been criticized by some as condescending and even racist. Some liberals have complained that Obama is wrongly blaming a demographic that has been loyal to Democrats over the years.
Others suggest that loyalty has not been paid back. Ken Wainwright, a Georgia labor organizer and former Atlanta City Council candidate, said Democrats have taken black voters for granted.
“These are people who should have been easy for Harris,” Wainwright told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “And now Obama is mad. Where you been, homie?”
The Harris campaign showed signs of desperation last week by announcing an agenda targeted to black men.
The "Opportunity Agenda For Black Men" faced immediate backlash, with many accusing Harris of promising handouts based on race. Others said Harris' promises to black men, such as legalizing marijuana, were rooted in toxic assumptions.
“Marijuana? That’s just disrespectful,” Wainwright said. “We’re fathers. We live in these communities. We want to get kids off that stuff.”
The campaign has clarified that Harris' agenda for black men is actually race neutral, as Harris pledges to be a president for "all Americans."
A campaign rep told the Wall Street Journal that while Harris is "clear-eyed about how Black men have long been denied the tools that would allow them to grow their wealth, get a good-paying job and support their loved ones," she is "championing solutions that will benefit all Americans and address these specific barriers to economic opportunity."
Between the scolding and wild oscillations in messaging, Harris is not finishing her campaign on a confident note.
