Barack Obama rallies for Harris in Charlotte, calls out ‘crazy stuff’ from Mark Robinson and Michele Morrow

Obama touted Kamala Harris’ record and plans, while highlighting Donald Trump’s unfitness and lack of character. The former president also called out NC Republicans for their outlandish behavior and rhetoric.

Former President Barack Obama on Friday visited Charlotte, where he rallied for Kamala Harris and down ballot Democrats, and delivered a stark warning about how Donald Trump’s agenda would hurt North Carolinians. 

Introduced by former Carolina Panthers great Thomas Davis, Sr., Obama urged the crowd of thousands at the Charlotte Convention Center to turn out and support Harris in what polls show is one of the most competitive presidential elections in modern history.

“This election is going to be tight,” Obama said. 

Obama, the last Democratic presidential candidate to win North Carolina in 2008, emphasized the convenience of early voting, which runs through Saturday, Nov. 2nd. 

“Here in North Carolina, early voting has already started. You can register to vote and cast your ballot at any one-stop early vote location in your county. And if you don’t know where that is, go to iwillvote.com/nc.” 

More than 2 million people have already voted in the state, primarily via early voting, according to the State Board of Elections. 

For those who already voted, Obama stressed that they talk to their friends and families about voting. 

“Just as important as you voting, is to get your friends and family to make a plan to vote too,” he said. 

Obama says Trump has no solutions to economic issues

Obama acknowledged that inflation and high costs for items like groceries are a concern for many people this year, and will influence voters’ decision-making as they head to the polls. 

“The price of everything from healthcare to housing is still too high. And that hurts. And I understand that,” Obama told the crowd. “The question is, who’s actually going to do something about it?” 

Harris has called out grocery stores engaged in price gouging, and has vowed to crack down on companies that continue to do it if she is elected. 

Trump, meanwhile, is not going to solve the problem of high prices, Obama said. 

Looking back at Trump’s first term, Obama said there’s no evidence that he’s capable of tackling the critical issues facing the country, specifically the economy and healthcare.

“Some people say ‘I remember the economy being pretty good when Donald Trump first came into office,’” Obama said. “Yeah, it was pretty good. Because it was my economy.” 

When Obama left office in January 2017, the unemployment rate had dropped to 4.7%, median household income was up 5.5%, and more than 11.5 million jobs had been created over eight years as the country came out of the great recession.

“We had 75 straight months of job growth, and handed it over to Donald Trump, and all he did was give a tax cut to folks who didn’t need it and drive up the deficit in the process.” Obama said.

Trump’s 2017 tax cut largely benefited the top 1%, with the highest earners receiving an average tax cut of over $61,000 per year, and the lowest earners getting a mere $70 increase on their tax return each year, according to The Center for Budget and Policy.

Trump’s threats to the Affordable Care Act

Obama also criticized Trump over his past efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which last year provided a record 21.3 million Americans with health insurance through its marketplace and tens of millions more through its Medicaid expansion program.

“Initially he said, get rid of the Affordable Care Act, he ran on that, ‘we’re going to get rid of Obamacare,’” Obama reminded the audience. 

Trump and Congressional Republicans attempted to repeal and replace the ACA in 2017, but fell one vote short when the late Sen. John McCain of Arizona voted against the repeal.

“Donald Trump spent his entire presidency trying to tear it up, trying to get rid of it, and by the way, he couldn’t even do that right,” Obama said, laughing.

During the only presidential debate between Trump and Vice President Harris, when asked if he had a plan for healthcare, Trump responded to the moderator, saying, “I have concepts of a plan.”

Obama took Trump to task for that answer.

“Let’s say your boss gives you an assignment, says I need it by Friday. Then Friday rolls around, and your boss says, ‘did you finish that project I asked for?’ and you say ‘I haven’t started it, but I have a concept of a plan,’” Obama said.

Before Obama could finish, an audience member interjected: “You’re fired.” 

Obama smiled, before returning to his thought: “If it would not work for you, why should it work for the president of the United States?

Addressing Republican extremism in North Carolina

Beyond Trump, Obama also talked about the outlandish comments made by Mark Robinson and Michele Morrow, the Republican nominees for governor and superintendent of public instruction, respectively.

“You need to elect Josh Stein…he knows how to get things done,” Obama said of Robinson’s Democratic opponent who was in the audience.

Obama touted Stein’s work in combating the fentanyl crisis and clearing the state’s rape kit backlog.

“Josh’s opponent believes other things. I’ve got nowhere to start with this man,” Obama began. “Called the Civil Rights Movement crap. Called LGBTQ people ‘filth.’ Self identified as a ‘Nazi.’ Suggested bringing back slavery…I think it’s safe to say you do not need a governor who makes Donald Trump almost look normal.” 

Obama also addressed Morrow, a home school activist who attended the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol — though there’s no evidence she entered the building — and called for a pro-Trump military coup after the attack. 

Morrow has also called for Obama’s execution in a now-deleted post on Twitter (now X).

“I prefer a Pay Per View of him in front of the firing squad,” Morrow wrote in May 2020.

“I’ve taken special interest in following the school superintendent race down here,” Obama said, addressing the issue head on. “Apparently the Republican candidate’s been spreading conspiracy theories and thinks I should face a firing squad. So I guess I am self interested.”

Obama called on the state to reject Morrow at the ballot box.

“We can’t have somebody saying just crazy stuff running your school system…you need somebody like Mo Green,” he said, referring to the Democratic nominee.

Despite the stakes of the election, and the dangers posed by far-right candidates like Robinson and Morrow, Obama encouraged the crowd to remain positive and do their part. 

“If each of us make our voices heard, we will leave no doubt about the outcome of this election. We will leave no doubt about who we are and what America stands for,” he said in his closing remarks. “And together, we will keep building a country that’s more fair, and more just, and more equal. That’s our job, that’s our responsibility.”