In a recent Truth Social post, former president-turned-2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump expressed his hope that his Oval Office predecessor might secretly support him in the 2024 election. In the post, Trump claimed Barack Obama “admits a total lack of enthusiasm for Kamala [Harris], especially with Black Men.” He continued, “I think Obama will be voting for me because he doesn’t like the fact that Kamala is an extremely Low IQ Person!”
Though the statement is framed as a swipe at Kamala Harris, the deeper takeaway is that Trump seems to crave Obama’s approval. By suggesting that Obama might secretly agree with him, Trump is showing his cards. It’s as if he’s looking for validation from his predecessor like he wants to be seen as more competent in the eyes of a leader he’s constantly criticized. Unfortunately for him, he’s sorely mistaken: Trump has taken Obama’s shady comments and flipped their meaning to pay himself a compliment that wasn’t actually spoken.
Donald Trump misinterpreted Barack Obama’s comments
For context, Donald Trump’s Truth Social post came not long after Barack Obama addressed Black men directly at a rally in Pennsylvania on October 10, 2024. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, Trump has misrepresented what Obama actually said. Obama didn’t say anything about Kamala Harris’s IQ, but made a statement about sexism. “You’re thinking about sitting out or supporting [Donald Trump], who has a history of denigrating you, because you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is?” Obama said (via CNN). “Putting women down? That’s not acceptable.” In reality, his words are about as anti-Trump as can be. The timing couldn’t be worse, either: Trump is struggling to earn endorsements as more and more celebrities condemn the former president.
Obama continued to challenge the broader mindset of voter apathy in America, suggesting, “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.” Rather than distancing himself from Harris or saying he wasn’t enthusiastic about her as Trump suggested, Obama’s remarks were actually the opposite: A call to action for the audience to support Harris in November. It’s just another blow to Trump’s ego when it comes to the Obamas.
