Before the meeting, Obama spoke to a volunteer at a local campaign office and said he did noted a lack of enthusiasm for Harris, especially among black men.

“You think about excluding someone or even supporting someone who has a history of denigration Youbecause you think that’s a sign of strength, because that’s what being a man is, putting women down?” he said. “That is not acceptable.”

Obama’s rebuke of Trump’s attitude toward masculinity comes amid a wide gender gap in this election. Polls show that Harris has significantly more support among women than among men, and that Trump is doing noticeably better among male voters than among women. (Be sure to read my MSNBC colleague Ja’han Jones’ series on Trump-driven hypermasculinity in right-wing circles.)

Both camps try to increase the appeal of their candidates among the opposite sex. For the Harris campaign, this means Obama must make the case for his support. For Trump, this means making patronizing assurances that he will be a “protector” of women while simultaneously ramping up his ugly personal attacks on Harris.