Obama: There Has Never Been A More Qualified Person Than Clinton For Prez

President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wave upon arriving at a campaign event at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, July 5, 2016. Obama is spending the ... President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wave upon arriving at a campaign event at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, July 5, 2016. Obama is spending the afternoon campaigning for Clinton. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Obama argued Tuesday at his first campaign rally appearance for Hillary Clinton that she was the “most qualified” person who has ever run for the White House.

“There has never been any man or woman more qualified for this office than Hillary Clinton,” Obama said at a rally in North Carolina. “And that’s the truth. That’s the truth.”

Obama described Clinton as a tough competitor in the 2008 election, saying she beat him in a debate, and said she didn’t “give up, she didn’t pout, she just kept on going.”

Obama went on to talk about choosing her to serve as his secretary of state and said his faith in Clinton “has always been rewarded.”

“I have had a front-row seat to her judgment and her toughness and her commitment to diplomacy,” Obama said, noting he was witness to her in the situation room for the Bin Laden mission, and watched her as a senator from New York working to help families of 9/11 victims.

Obama also pivoted to criticizing Republicans after saying that Clinton had a plan to improve the economy.

“Now, the fact that we haven’t gotten all these ideas done, it’s not the fault of immigrants or unions or some liberal, socialist scheme. It’s very simple!” Obama said. “Republicans in Congress and Republican governors have been blocking these ideas for the last eight years. It’s that simple.”

Obama, who has reportedly been eager to critique Donald Trump on the trail, made room in his speech to take a thinly-veiled swipe at the real estate mogul. He said voters who were supporting “the other team” weren’t voting with the economy in mind.

“Even the Republicans on the other side don’t know what the guy’s talking about,” Obama said.

Obama said Republicans picked a nominee whose “only plan is to build a bigger wall,” referring to Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border of the United States and Mexico. The crowd then booed.

“Don’t boo,” Obama said. “Vote. Booing doesn’t help. You need to vote.”

Obama said that Clinton was “honest” and “true.” Obama made no mention the FBI’s announcement of the results of its investigation, which found that Clinton and her team was “careless” with her private server, but that it didn’t warrant criminal charges.

Obama did say that he had run his last race and was “ready to pass the baton.”

“And I know that Hillary Clinton is going to take it. And I know she can run that race, the race to create good jobs and better schools and safer streets and a safer world and that’s why I’m fired up,” Obama said. “And that’s why I’m ready to go. And that’s why I’m with her. And that’s why I need you to work just as hard to make sure that Hillary Rodham Clinton is the next President of the United States of America.”

This post has been updated.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: