Former President Barack Obama repeated a widely discredited narrative during a rally for Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, suggesting that former President Donald Trump referred to neo-Nazis as “very fine people” after the 2017 Charlottesville protests.

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center.

Obama’s comments come despite multiple fact-checks debunking the claim, including by outlets like Snopes and the Associated Press, which clarified that Trump specifically condemned white supremacists at the time.

Addressing Harris supporters, Obama mentioned concerns about anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, referencing Trump’s past policies. “Maybe you’re Muslim-American or you’re Jewish-American and you’re furious about the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East and worried about the rise of anti-Semitism,” Obama said.

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He then invoked the Charlottesville incident, saying, “Why would you place your faith in someone who instituted a so-called Muslim ban?” He added, “[Trump] said that there were very fine people on both sides of the white supremacist rally.”

Trump’s “very fine people” remark has been frequently cited by critics as evidence of sympathies toward extremists.

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However, multiple fact-checks, including one from Snopes in June, have clarified the context.

Snopes Screenshot

Trump made the comments during a press conference on the “Unite the Right” rally, which was organized in response to the removal of a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In his statement, Trump said there were “very fine people on both sides,” referring to individuals on both sides of the monument debate, but he also added that he was “not talking about neo-Nazis and white nationalists,” who he said should be “condemned totally.”

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The Associated Press and other media sources later acknowledged the context of Trump’s statements, clarifying that he did not refer to white nationalists or neo-Nazis as “very fine people.”

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However, Democrats, including the Harris campaign, have frequently referenced the phrase, most recently in an X post by the campaign, which omitted the part of Trump’s statement where he condemned white supremacists.

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Obama’s comments at the rally also referenced Trump’s temporary travel restrictions on certain countries, often labeled as a “Muslim ban” by critics.

The policy targeted specific countries deemed high-risk for terrorism by U.S. security agencies, affecting a small percentage of the global Muslim population and was later upheld by the Supreme Court.

Despite its limited scope, the travel restriction was widely portrayed as a ban on Muslims in general, a claim repeated by Obama in Milwaukee.

The rally comes just days before the election, with Pennsylvania emerging as a critical battleground state for both campaigns.

The Harris team’s focus on the “very fine people” narrative and other debunked claims highlights the intensity of the Democratic Party’s messaging efforts.

The campaign has also faced scrutiny for claims about Trump’s remarks, including an alleged “bloodbath” statement earlier this year, which Trump’s team clarified was in reference to the auto industry, not to any violent intent.

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This isn’t the first time Democrats have pushed narratives that fact-checkers have later challenged.

Just a few days ago, reports circulated that Trump threatened former Rep. Liz Cheney with violence; however, Trump’s comments referenced sending those who advocate for military intervention to the frontlines themselves.

As the campaigns head into the final stretch, the focus on key swing states like Pennsylvania is expected to intensify, with each side vying to sway undecided voters.

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