A black Philadelphia voter has issued a scathing response after former president Barack Obama scolded black men who did not support Kamala Harris.
Podcaster Chad Fain told MSNBC host Alex Wagner he was 'deeply offended' when Obama chastised black men for not supporting Harris' candidacy like they supported his own back in 2008.
Obama made the comments at a campaign event in Pittsburgh, saying he was responding to reports on the ground that there was lower enthusiasm for Harris and that some black men were thinking of sitting out the election.
'It felt like a moment where it’s like "You n-words better get in line and do what we say!"' Fain said in a roundtable conversation in a West Philadelphia barber shop.
Fain added that Obama 'As the Czar of the Democratic Party [is] coming down to say "Go get these n-words in line."'
Earlier this month, Obama, 63, made headlines when he appeared to shame black men who were not enthusiastic about Harris.
'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. Now, I also want to say that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers,' Obama said.
He continued: 'Part of it makes me think - and I´m speaking to men directly - part of it makes me think 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.'
'You're coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I've got a problem with that.'
To Fain, the 'general tone' of Obama's comments was 'disgusting.'
'It was abhorrent,' Fain went on.
'I didn’t respect it. I didn’t like nothing about it. And Kamala, two days after that, is like, "We love our Black men, we have programs and things that we’re rolling out for them and she rolled out policy.
Obama's comments sparked fury online, with many social media users accusing the ex-president of assuming that they were somehow stupid or inferior because they did not support Harris.
Former State Representative of Georgia, Vernon Jones, said that Obama had been sent out by the Democratic Party to 'whip black men back on the plantation to vote Democrat.'
Harris' presidential campaign has been under pressure to win more votes from black men in particular, with polls revealing she is in a lower standing by the voting bloc than Joe Biden when he ran in 2020.
While 85 percent of black men said they would vote for Biden in 2020, 75 percent said they would vote for the current vice president.
The vice president's so-called 'opportunity agenda for black men' is meant to invigorate African American males at a moment when there are fears some may sit out the election rather than vote for Harris or her opponent, Republican former president Donald Trump.
Harris has unveiled plans to legalize recreational marijuana and create 'forgivable' business loans for black entrepreneurs in a bid to win the black vote.
Her new plans include providing forgivable business loans for black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.
The Harris campaign has been working to increase support among other male voting blocs, including Hispanics, by founding the group 'Hombres con Harris,' Spanish for 'Men with Harris.'
The latest policy rollout is notable because it comes with the stated purpose of motivating black men to vote mere weeks before Election Day.
As her campaign has done with the 'Hombres' group, Harris' team plans to organize gender-specific gatherings.
Those include 'Black Men Huddle Up' events in battleground states featuring African American male celebrities for things like watch parties for NFL and NCAA football games.
The campaign says it also plans new testimonial ads in battleground states that feature local black male voices.
Black Americans strongly supported Joe Biden when he beat Trump in 2020. Harris advisers say they are less worried about losing large percentages of black male support to the former president than that some will choose not to turn out at all.
Trump, too, has stepped up efforts to win over black and Hispanic voters of both genders. He has held roundtables with black entrepreneurs in swing states and will sit for a town hall sponsored by Spanish-language Univision this week.
He also has sought to capitalize on racial divisions, repeatedly suggesting that immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally are taking jobs from black and Hispanic Americans.