Charlamagne says Obama’s call for Dems to ‘toughen up’ is too late

Radio host Charlamagne Tha God suggested on Tuesday that former President Barack Obama’s remarks telling Democrats to “toughen up” came far too late.

Obama said at a Friday fundraiser that Democrats need to “just toughen up” and do “less navel-gazing” and “whining,” according to CNN. Charlamagne argued on “The Breakfast Club” that Democrats have been “cowards” for many years now and that explains why they did not force former President Joe Biden not to run for reelection.

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“It’s mind-boggling to me when I hear people like President Obama say things that regular everyday people been saying for years,” Charlamagne said. “We’ve been saying Democrats were cowards for a decade. We’ve been saying Democrats need to toughen up. And that cowardice is why we’re in the position that we’re in now.”

“And I can give countless examples of Democrats needing to show a spine. Like, for example, they should have told Biden that he was going to be a one-term president,” he continued. “It wasn’t up to him. So, it’s just wild to hear President Obama say that now as if Democrats haven’t been cowards for the past decade.”

Biden did not drop out of the presidential race until July 21 a month after his disastrous June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump. Democrats even chanted, “Four more years!” during the former president’s March 2024 State of the Union address.

“Google it. The language has been the same for at least eight, nine years. ‘Democrats are cowards,’” Charlamagne added. “‘Democrats don’t have no spine.’ We’ve been saying this.”

Journalist Morgyn Wood asked what “toughen up looks[s] like” in politics.

“Toughen up looks like, ‘Hey Biden, you’re going to be a one-term president.’ Toughen up looks like, ‘Hey RBG [late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg], you’re going to step down ’cause you’re too old.’ That’s what toughening up looks like,” Charlamagne responded. “Stuff like that should have been happening.”

Co-host DJ Envy had a different answer.

“Toughen up to me means handle and do your core like you said you were going to do,” Envy said. “One thing you can say about Trump, whether you like him, love him, or hate him, he does what he wants to do for his core, for his people that ride for him.”

“Toughen up looks like, hey, if Donald Trump is the essential threat that y’all tell us he is, how come y’all aren’t going after him that way while y’all are in office? That’s what toughening up looks like,” Charlamagne added.

A May Puck/Echelon poll found that likely voters largely perceived the Democratic Party as “liberal, weak, corrupt.” Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters most commonly viewed the party as “weak.”

NewsNation political contributor Chris Cillizza said on his YouTube channel in May that the poll result is troublesome for Democrats.

“I think that is sort of a big problem for the Democratic Party. You can’t be viewed as weak. You know, Donald Trump’s great strength — even for people who don’t agree with him — is he’s viewed as a fighter and tough. Now, we can debate whether he is a fighter and tough, but that’s how he’s viewed,” he continued. “And Democrats right now — even among themselves — see themselves as weak and ineffective. And I just think that’s incredibly telling and problematic for a party.”

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