Democratic strategist Dan Turrentine on Friday criticized former President Barack Obama for implying that black men’s reluctance to back Vice President Kamala Harris is due to her gender.

Obama on Thursday urged black men to support Harris while speaking at a Pittsburgh-area campaign office, saying he thinks a factor for their hesitation is they “aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president,” according to CNN. Turrentine, on journalist Mark Halperin’s 2WAY platform, called Obama “Professor Obama” and suggested the remarks were “so patronizing,” arguing the former president was treating black men as if they weren’t aware of their own interests.

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“You’re basically saying, like … you don’t know what’s in your interest. The only reason that you could possibly be doing it is because she’s a woman, when everything screams they’re doing it because of the economy, right? They want an opportunity,” Turrentine said. “They think [former President Donald] Trump gives them a better opportunity. So, I mean, I get what he’s trying to do. To your point, Mark, he’s definitely shaking the trees, but I don’t think that’s the best way to persuade them to change their mind.”

Halperin said Obama’s remarks were politically wise because of the necessity to “breakthrough” to black voters who are shifting away from Democrats.

“Telling somebody that you’re too dumb to vote for your interests is not the best way to wake somebody up … You could say his economy is — like if you want to just trash Trump — but don’t sit there and say to people, basically you don’t realize what’s in your self-interest, so I’m going to tell you what’s — nobody likes to be talked to like that,” Turrentine responded.

“I like Professor Obama in emergency situations,” Halperin asserted.

Former Democratic state Sen. Nina Turner of Ohio also criticized Obama on Thursday, accusing him of lecturing black men and saying it was “wrong” for him to “single out” the particular voting bloc.

Over 50% of voters think Trump would manage the economy better than Harris, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll published in September. Trump holds support from 15% of black voters, according to the poll.

Trump has been polling stronger with black voters leading up to the November election than he did in 2016 and 2020.

Featured Image Credit: Center for American Progress Action Fund from Washington, DC