Former President Barack Obama came out to support Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin Tuesday – but at least one rally-goer was looking to turn back time.
‘Miss you,’ the Madison attendee shouted to the two-term former commander in chief.
‘I miss you, too,’ Obama replied before returning to firing up the crowd in support of Harris with a blistering attack against her rival, former President Donald Trump, over the economy.
Obama accused Trump of taking credit for an economy that he built during his eight years in office leading up to the Trump presidency.
Obama was appearing at a rally in Madison alongside Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz when he put Trump on blast.
‘I’ve talked to some folks, and they’ll say, “Yeah, but you know, I do remember the economy was pretty good when Trump first came into office,”‘ Obama said. ‘And I said “yeah, because it was my economy.”
‘I had spent eight years cleaning up the mess that the Republicans left,’ Obama went on. ‘I had spent eight years getting the auto industry back on track, reopening factories.’
Former President Obama speaking at a rally in Madison, WI on Tuesday where he accused Donald Trump of taking credit for the economy he built over two terms in office
Obama’s rally in Madison was not the first time he’s accused Trump of stealing credit for his economy.
The Democratic ex-president first made a similar claim earlier this month at a solo rally.
‘When I handed over 75 straight months of job growth to Donald Trump, all he did was give a tax cut to people who didn’t need it,’ Obama said Tuesday.
He pointed out Trump also drove up the deficits at the same time.
‘So don’t have nostalgia for what his economy was,’ Obama said incredulously. ‘Because that was mine.’
Obama came into office as the country and world was facing the Great Recession which started in late 2007 and lasted until mid-2009.
It had a significant economic and political impact on the United States with some sectors taking years to recover.
Obama appeared in Wisconsin alongside Harris’ running mate Tim Walz. It was their first joint appearance in the 2024 campaign
Supporters of Harris watching as Obama spoke in Madison. At one point, someone in the crowd shouted ‘miss you.’ The former president responded ‘I miss you too’
Obama also claimed Trump wanted to steal credit from his eight years in office again.
The former president pointed out that the Republican presidential nominee wanted to end the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, while he was in office.
‘The problem he’s got now is that it’s popular because 50 million people have used it and are still using it,’ Obama pointed out.
That’s when Obama slammed Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance accusing him of having the ‘chutzpah’ to get on stage during the vice presidential debate and say Trump ‘salvaged’ the Affordable Care Act.
‘Now come on man, Donald Trump spent his entire presidency trying to tear it down,’ Obama said. ‘And he couldn’t even do that right.’
Obama also slammed Trump for saying during his own debate he has ‘concepts of a plan’ to replace Obamacare.
Obama greeting supporters after speaking at the rally with Walz. He will join Harris on the campaign trail for the first time on Thursday in Atlanta
He joked people could try it at home, responding when asked about doing the dishes ‘not yet, but I do have a concept for doing the dishes.’
The crowd loved it.
‘If it wouldn’t work for you, it’ shouldn’t work for the President of the United States,’ Obama said.
Obama has held a series of campaign events for Harris and Walz across battleground states but Tuesday was his first campaign appearance with the Democratic vice presidential nominee in attendance.
The former president will hold his first campaign event alongside Harris in Atlanta on Thursday.