In Pittsburgh rally with Fetterman, Obama says GOP is unprepared to tackle inflation, crime

Former President Barack Obama rallied with Democratic U.S. Senate nominee John Fetterman on a warm Saturday in Pittsburgh in front of thousands of supporters. But he highlighted his speech by trying to get those less politically involved to join the movement and support Democrats in the party’s closing argument to voters before Election Day.

“I know most people want to watch football, or HGTV, or ‘The Great British Baking Show,’ but I am here to tell you, Pittsburgh, that tuning out is not an option,” Obama said. “The only way to make this economy fair is to together fight for it. The only way to save democracy is to together fight for it.”

Several thousand filled the lawn at Schenley Plaza in the Oakland neighborhood for the rally, and some set up across the street outside the barricades to watch Obama, Fetterman and local congressional candidates Chris Deluzio and Summer Lee.

The rally focused on many Democratic priorities — such as protecting abortion rights, lowering prescription drug prices and the right to organize a labor union — but also addressed the struggles Pennsylvanians are facing with higher costs and rising violent crime.

Obama cast Republicans as unable and unprepared to help combat those issues. He said Republicans have no plan to help lower inflation. He said they likely will just propose tax cuts for rich people and corporations, which he said is Republicans’ solution to every economic issue.

“If there was an asteroid heading toward earth, you know they would say, ‘You know what we need? A tax cut for the wealthy and corporations,’ ” he said.

In his speech, Fetterman also attacked Republicans and his opponent, celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz, for using his personal wealth to fund his campaign.

“He spent $25 million to try to buy the Pennsylvania Senate seat, but it is not up for sale,” Fetterman said of Oz.

Fetterman has faced increased questions about his health since he suffered a stroke in May. He struggled to speak during the Senate debate last week. Because of the stroke, Fetterman has some temporary auditory processing issues, and he needed the use of closed captioning during the debate.

But he spoke for several minutes Saturday and didn’t stumble over any words.

He also spoke about his support for raising the federal minimum wage and passing legislation to expand union rights, saying, “We have to push back against corporate greed and price gouging” to lower costs for Americans.

Obama defended Fetterman and praised his resolve in campaigning through his stroke recovery.

“You know that John is tough, and not just because he wears shorts in the middle of winter,” Obama said, joking about Fetterman’s unconventional attire. “He knows like Pennsylvanians and working people, he knows what it is like to get knocked down, and get back up. … The stroke didn’t change his values.”

Saturday was a busy day politically in the Pittsburgh area. In addition to the Fetterman rally in Oakland, a rally for Republicans was to be held later in the day at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity with former President Donald Trump.

At the Schenley Plaza rally, Obama made many rhetorical attempts to find common ground with Republicans, including praising late Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

But he also attacked Republican politicians and claimed that if they were to retake control of Congress, they would strip Americans’ Social Security and Medicare benefits.

“They want to gut Social Security, they want to gut Medicare, and they want to give tax breaks to rich folks,” Obama said.

Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released a plan in February to “curb excessive spending” if Republicans take back Congress. It also mentions a blueprint for Congress to issue an annual report telling the public “what they plan to do when Social Security and Medicare go bankrupt.”

Scott, Oz and other Republican candidates in Pennsylvania have pushed back against those claims, saying they will protect Social Security and Medicare spending.

Obama acknowledged that violent crime rates are rising in Pennsylvania. He noted that it’s not just an urban issue and said increased crime is affecting rural and conservative America, too. He said Republicans are not prepared to tackle the issue because they want to make gun laws looser.

“Who will actually keep you more safe? Is it the people that want to flood our streets with more guns, or is it the people who passed bipartisan gun reform?” Obama said, noting gun safety legislation signed by President Joe Biden in June.

Toward the end of his speech, Obama reiterated his plea to people not normally politically engaged to vote for Democrats, who he said will vote to protect elections.

He said too many Republican politicians support efforts to subvert democratic norms, citing that Oz has political staffers on his campaign who attended the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the Capitol insurrection.

“I know democracy might not seem like a top priority — gas prices are high and grocery prices are high. But let me tell you something Pennsylvania: We have seen what happens when you give up on democracy,” said Obama, pointing to countries where corruption is rampant because there is no accountability. “These are tough times in Pennsylvania, but we have been through tougher times before. The important thing is we don’t give in and give up.”

Election Day is Tuesday.