Former President Barack Obama recently appeared at a campaign event with Wisconsin Democratic Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, who most polls show trailing incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.
In what may be a sign of desperation, Obama at one point brought up decade-old allegations from former President Donald Trump.
Obama remembers “the good old days” of birth certificate controversy
According to Rolling Stone magazine, Obama delivered his speech on Saturday in a Milwaukee high school gymnasium.
“I know that there are some folks, probably — maybe not in this auditorium, but elsewhere in Wisconsin — who think…just because Mandela’s named Mandela, just because he’s a Democrat with a funny name, he must not be like you, he must not share your values,” the former president said.
Obama went on to reference Republican campaign ads “implying Mandela is dangerous and different,” adding, “I mean, we’ve seen this. It sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?”
He then referenced the “the good old days,” when Trump demanded to see proof that Obama was born in the United States rather than Kenya.
“Remember that that was the craziest thing people said?” Obama said laughingly. “Now, it doesn’t even make the Top 10 list of crazy.”
Obama to Mandela Barnes: “Get ready to dig up that birth certificate …. that’s the good old days. Remember when that was the craziest thing that people said?” pic.twitter.com/6DwCZvBirr
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 29, 2022
Poll finds registered voters trust Republicans over Democrats on inflation
For his part, Johnson has campaigned on inflation and high fuel prices, both of which he blames on Democratic policies.
Wisconsin average gas prices, once again, have risen above $4.
Make no mistake, this is the result of Democrats’ reckless deficit spending and radical green energy policies.
Stand with me this November and help us return fiscal responsibility and economic sanity to Congress.
— Ron Johnson (@RonJohnsonWI) October 6, 2022
“Make no mistake, this is the result of Democrats’ reckless deficit spending and radical green energy policies,” he tweeted last month. “Stand with me this November and help us return fiscal responsibility and economic sanity to Congress.”
An ABC News/Ipsos poll carried out between October 21 and October 22 found that 38% of registered voters felt Republicans were best equipped to handle inflation compared with 21% who said the same of Democrats.