PITTSBURGH – Speaking directly to American men before Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama characterized Donald Trump as mendacious and self-centered, saying he does not represent the “real force.”

“I’m sorry, gentlemen, I’ve noticed this especially with some men who seem to find some of Trump’s behavior – the bullying and belittling of people – a sign of strength. And I’m here to tell you: that’s not what real strength is. That has never been the case,” Obama said, drawing heavy applause from the Democratic crowd.

“Real strength is about hard work. And carry a heavy burden without complaining. Real strength is about taking responsibility for your actions and telling the truth, even when it’s difficult,” he said. “Real strength is about helping those who need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. That’s what we should want for our daughters and sons, and that’s what I want to see in a president of the United States of America.”

Obama said Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, represent the “character” and “values” a president should have.

Follow live updates on the 2024 elections

Election surveys indicate a large gender gap, showing Harris winning women by large margins while struggling against men. Some Democratic strategists worry they risk losing some of the young men, Latino men and even black men, who have expressed openness toward Trump or shown little enthusiasm about voting.

Obama expressed particular outrage over Trump’s spread of false claims about the administration’s response to hurricane victims, and expressed bewilderment that some view Trump as strong.

“I want to ask Republicans, people who are conservative, who didn’t vote for me and don’t agree with me,” he said. “When did that become okay? Why should we go along with that?”

He added: ‘Even if you had a family member who behaved like this, you might still love them, but you would tell them you have a problem. And you wouldn’t put them in charge of anything. And yet, when Donald Trump lies or cheats or shows total disregard for our Constitution, when he calls prisoners of war losers or fellow citizens vermin, people make excuses for it. They’re okay with it.”

Obama is particularly focused on reaching African-American men in the final weeks before the election, according to a source familiar with his thinking. “They are certainly a target for him for the next 26 days.”

Before the meeting, Obama spoke to volunteers and expressed his concerns more explicitly.

“We haven’t seen the same kind of energy and turnout in all areas of our neighborhoods and communities as we did when I was running. Now I would also like to say that this seems to be clearer with the brothers,” he said, according to a pool report.

“Part of me thinks you just don’t like the idea of ​​having a woman as president, and you think of other alternatives and other reasons for that,” he said. ‘You come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses. I have a problem with that.”

He called on them to “talk to people on the sidelines” and urged them not to consider “supporting someone who has a history of belittling you because you think that’s a sign of strength.”

‘Because that’s what being a man is? Putting women down?” Obama told them. “That is not acceptable.”

CORRECTION (Oct. 11, 2024, 1:14 PM ET): An earlier version of this article misquoted former President Barack Obama. He said, “And carrying a heavy burden without complaining,” not, “And carrying a heavy burden is about complaining.”