Obama mocks Trump

Obama mocks Trump, warns about his reelection at Atlanta rally for Harris

The former president’s speech reflects Democratic strategy at the close of campaign.

Elena Schneider

Barack Obama alternated between mocking Donald Trump and warning against returning him to the White House — reflecting a strategy to disqualify the former president in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Obama, speaking at a Kamala Harris rally in Atlanta, repeatedly brought up former Trump chief of staff John Kelly, who said the former president would rule like a dictator if reelected and spoke approvingly of Hitler.

“A good rule of thumb is — don’t say you want to do anything like Hitler,” Obama said.

Obama told the crowd that he’d served with Kelly and former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, who has called Trump fascist, and noted they “are not quote-unquote woke liberals.”

“The reason they’re speaking up is because they have seen that in Donald Trump’s mind, the military does not exist to serve the Constitution or the American people. He doesn’t see being commander-in-chief as a solemn, sacred responsibility, just like everything else, he thinks the military exists to do his bidding, to serve his interests,” Obama said. “Unlike the first time, he won’t have people like John Kelly around to stop him. He’ll be surrounded by people who are just as looney as he is.”

He also criticized Trump’s mental acuity, describing him as “goofy” and comparing him to “your grandpa” who is “out here giving two-hour speeches — just word salad.”

“If your grandpa was acting like this, you’d call up your brother, call up your cousin, and you’d say, ‘Hey, have you noticed, Grandpa, he’s acting kind of funny right now.’”

Obama has already started campaigning on behalf of Harris in Pennsylvania and Michigan last week.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will also make her first appearance on behalf of Harris in Michigan on Friday.