Former President Barack Obama said Tuesday the election “will be tight” because of the COVID-19 pandemic — admitting that he understands “why folks are looking to shake things up” to change the economy.
“Now we know this election is going to be tight. It’s going to be tight here in Wisconsin. It’s going to be tight all across the country, and it’s going to be tight because a lot of Americans are still struggling,” Obama said at a rally in Madison, Wis., two weeks before Election Day.
The 44th president, who has deployed to stump for Vice President Kamala Harris across the country, blamed the pandemic for the economy — four years after it began.
“You know, as a country, we’ve been through a lot over the last few years. We forget sometimes a historic pandemic wreaked havoc on communities, on families, on businesses, and then disruptions from the pandemic caused price hikes.
“They put a strain on family budgets, and people started feeling like no matter how hard they worked, they were just treading water,” he added.
“So I understand why folks are looking to shake things up. I get it,” Obama said of voters being hesitant to vote for Harris, who was in power the past three years.
He then argued former President Donald Trump would not “shake things up” in a “good” way because he’s a billionaire and there’s “no evidence” he thinks about the American people.
The emphasis on COVID-19 is a departure from the rest of the campaign battle between Harris and Trump. Both candidates have shied away from talking about the issue, as they both presided over the pandemic.
The Harris campaign, unlike Trump’s, has been messaging that the 2024 race is neck-and-neck.
RealClearPolitics average has Trump leading Harris by just .4% in Wisconsin. The average polling data also has him marginally ahead in every swing state: Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona and North Carolina.
The former president and his team have been touting poll numbers showing him ahead in critical swing states and among key minority demographics.
Obama’s comments come after NBC first reported Harris officials are worried about one of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina going to Trump, making their path to 270 electoral votes much more difficult.
With just two weeks to go, Democrat sources told The Post they were frustrated at Harris’ campaign strategy of not hosting any events Tuesday and then going to deep-red Texas on Friday to talk about abortion.
Obama has previously expressed concern for how Harris is faring on the campaign trail, saying he doesn’t see the same “energy” as he had when he was running for office.
“We have yet to see the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said earlier in October at a “Black Voters for Harris” event in Pittsburgh.
He then specifically encouraged black men to vote: “I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers.”
Obama added at the time that it’s “not acceptable” for black men to back Trump and that they should not have qualms about her being a woman.
He is set to continue campaigning for Harris and Michelle Obama is scheduled to also appear at a rally next week.
