Barack Obama’s message to Black male voters angered some Democrats. Why it matters.

• Obama admonished some Black men for seeking “excuses” not to back a female presidential candidate.
• Some took issue with the message, arguing that Black male voters aren’t Harris’ biggest challenge.
• But any critical erosion in Black support could prove costly for Democrats in November.

Former President Barack Obama this week hit the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris, part of a concerted effort to rally support around the Democratic presidential nominee with less than a month remaining before the election.

Obama has long been known for his soaring oratory, which helped propel him to the White House in 2008. That year, Obama’s diverse voting coalition was headlined by overwhelming support from Black and young voters, two groups that Harris needs to win in November.

But Obama’s remarks while in Pittsburgh on Thursday sparked a major debate about Black voters and their loyalty to the Democratic Party and former President Donald Trump’s push to make inroads with the key group.

“You’re coming up with all kinds of reasons and excuses,” Obama said of Black male voters. “I’ve got a problem with that.”

He continued: “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.”

With Harris working to build her own voting coalition in what’s expected to be a tight race, every vote will matter. Here’s why Obama’s remarks on Harris’ presidential candidacy are so significant.

The gender gap is expected to be wide

In virtually every national poll, Harris boasts significant leads with female voters, buoyed by her strength on issues like reproductive rights and healthcare. Harris has recently cut into Trump’s long-standing advantage on economic issues, which could be pivotal in battleground states like Arizona and North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to poll well with male voters, particularly among white men who didn’t attend college.

In the latest New York Times/Siena College national poll, Harris led Trump 49% to 46% among likely voters. While Harris had a 16-point lead with women, Trump had an 11-point edge with men.

Obama’s remarks reflected concerns among many Democrats that Black men — particularly young Black men — are gravitating toward Trump and could cost Harris the election.

But some Democrats have called out the former president for his remarks, arguing that his admonishment of Black men put off by Harris’ gender was misplaced.

“Why are Black men being lectured to? Why are Black men being belittled in ways that no other group [is]?” former Ohio state senator and ex-Democratic congressional candidate Nina Turner told CNN on Thursday.

“Now, a lot of love for former President Obama, but for him to single out Black men is wrong,” she continued. “Some of the Black men that I have talked to have their reasons why they want to vote a different way, and even if some of us may not like that, we have to respect it.”

Black voter loyalty will be tested this year

Turner and some other Democrats have noted that Black men remain among the most reliable supporters of the party.

In the 2016 presidential election, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won 94% of Black female voters, compared to 82% among Black men, according to exit polling. The results reflected the long-standing loyalty that Black voters have had with Democrats.

That year, Trump won 4% of Black women votes while taking 13% of Black male votes. (Latino voters strongly backed Clinton, but both white men and white women overall supported Trump.)

In 2020, now-President Joe Biden won 92% of Black voters, compared to 8% for Trump, according to the Pew Research Center.

But Obama and other Democrats are hoping to get ahead of what they see as Trump’s potential to win over more Black voters — and especially Black men — this time around.

The newly released New York Times/Siena College poll showed that 78% of Black likely voters supported Harris, while Trump pulled in 15% support among Black likely voters. Such a result — if it stands in November — could be a boost for Trump in swing states like Georgia and Pennsylvania.

Black men in the Times/Siena survey backed Harris 70% to 20%, still a sizable advantage for the vice president, but indicative of erosion among this group toward the GOP. However, Black women remained strongly in Harris’ corner, backing her by an 83% to 12% margin.

While Obama’s pitch may have rubbed some people the wrong way, Democrats know they need robust Black support to win in November.

And the Times/Siena survey showed the work that lies ahead for Harris as she campaigns to succeed Biden in the White House.