Obama tells Dems to ‘toughen up,’ center candidates who can actually deliver

Former President Barack Obama had blunt words for Democratic Party donors, telling them at a Friday fundraiser to “toughen up” and “stop looking for a quick fix” after the Democratic Party became locked out of power following the 2024 election cycle.

“I think it’s going to require a little bit less navel-gazing and a little less whining and being in fetal positions. And it’s going to require Democrats to just toughen up,” Obama said at the fundraiser, according to excerpts obtained by CNN. “Don’t tell me you’re a Democrat, but you’re kind of disappointed right now, so you’re not doing anything. No, now is exactly the time that you get in there and do something.”

Obama is not alone in urging his fellow Democratic colleagues to take a more aggressive approach following the GOP’s momentum in 2024. The former president articulated that his view of becoming more aggressive and toughening up means standing up for policies and candidates that are unpopular, or that may make lawmakers feel uncomfortable, but in the end have the best chance to deliver. 

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“Don’t say that you care deeply about free speech, and then you’re quiet. No, you stand up for free speech when it’s hard. When somebody says something that you don’t like, but you still say, ‘You know what? That person has the right to speak.’ … What’s needed now is courage,” Obama added in his remarks at the fundraiser, which drew in $2.5 million and was hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and his wife, Tammy Murphy, at their home. 

“Stop looking for the quick fix,” he added. “Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.” 

The former president pointed particularly at the upcoming elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Later this year, Virginia will face a major gubernatorial battle between incumbent GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former long-time Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va.

In New Jersey, Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who was reportedly in attendance at the Friday fundraiser, is running for her state’s open gubernatorial seat against GOP candidate Jack Ciattarelli.

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Both states will also hold new state House elections and a slate of other local elections. In Virginia, there will also be a special election this year to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. 

Amid his remarks, Obama described Spanberger and Sherrill as “powerful spokespersons for a pragmatic, commonsense desire to help people and who both have remarkable track records of service.” 

“Stop looking for the quick fix. Stop looking for the messiah. You have great candidates running races right now. Support those candidates.” – former President Barack Obama

“The most important thing you can do right now is to help the team, our candidate to win,” he said. “And we’ve got to start building up our coffers in the DNC.”

Obama acknowledged the party’s increasing propensity to nominate progressive, far-left candidates, such as the recent choice of Zohran Mamdani over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, but argued that what they are promoting and what centrist Democrats are pushing are not mutually exclusive.

“There’s been, I gather, some argument between the left of the party and people who are promoting the quote-unquote abundance agenda. Listen, those things are not contradictory. You want to deliver for people and make their lives better? You got to figure out how to do it,” Obama said Friday.

“I don’t care how much you love working people. They can’t afford a house because all the rules in your state make it prohibitive to build. And zoning prevents multifamily structures because of NIMBY,” he added, referring to “not in my backyard” views by residents who oppose development in their neighborhoods. “I don’t want to know your ideology, because you can’t build anything. It does not matter.”

Obama said that what was being asked of his fellow Democratic Party leaders was to “make some effort to stand up” for what they believe is right, even if it makes them a “little bit uncomfortable.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.