At a rally on Friday, former president Barack Obama intensified his criticism of Donald Trump, portraying the Republican nominee as a con artist unfit for leadership. He employed scathing mockery while campaigning in support of Vice President Kamala Harris.
In his recent remarks, including those from Friday, it is evident that Obama has taken on a distinctive tone. Leveraging his experience, credibility, and popularity, he has become increasingly straightforward in his criticism of Trump while also rallying fellow Democrats to action.
According to Washington Post, Obama remarked about Trump’s strange town hall appearance, where he danced to music onstage for over half an hour instead of taking questions, saying, “You’d be concerned if your grandpa was behaving this way. Tucson, we don’t need to witness an unrestrained, increasingly erratic Donald Trump.”
“When he’s not whining, he’s busy trying to sell you things,” Obama said with a smile, eliciting laughter from the crowd. “Take this one: he’s selling the Trump Bible—wants you to buy the word of God, Donald Trump edition.”
Obama then delivered his real punchline, pointing out that the Bibles were printed in China.
“So, Mr. Tough Guy on China, except when he’s looking to profit from his Trump edition Bibles,” Obama quipped. “You really can’t make this up.”
Furthermore, Obama also compared the character of former President Donald Trump to that of the late Sen. John McCain. “Being in Tucson reminds me of my friend, John McCain,” Obama said to the crowd of several thousand Arizonans, reported NBC News.
“I don’t want to overly romanticize our relationship,” he added, prompting laughter from the audience. “But he understood that some values go beyond party lines. He believed in honest debate and listening to differing viewpoints. He never demonized his political opponents.”
“When Donald Trump lies, cheats, bullies, or shows complete disregard for our Constitution—like when he calls service members such as John McCain losers because they died in battle or were captured—people make excuses, saying it’s acceptable as long as their side wins,” Obama stated.
McCain was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and endured torture. His service earned him two Purple Hearts, along with numerous other military honors. He represented Arizona in both the House and the Senate for decades.
He also went ahead and mockingly said, “You think Donald Trump has ever changed a diaper? No, Jeeves. Jeeves, what is this?” he said.
His comments sparked a variety of reactions across social media platforms like X, previously known as Twitter.
With just over two weeks until Election Day, Obama addressed a crowd of around 7,000 people, as estimated by the Harris campaign. They filled the turf field inside the University of Arizona’s football practice facility the night before the eagerly awaited homecoming game. This Tucson rally marked the beginning of Obama’s six-day, five-state tour through some of the election’s most competitive battlegrounds.
Meanwhile, Harris and Obama are set to appear together in Georgia on October 24, while Michelle Obama will join Harris in Michigan on October 26.
