Former President Barack Obama appeared on a Zoom call with the group Win With Black Men on Sunday.

The group — which raised $1.3 million in four hours for the grassroots platform on behalf of the Harris campaign — warned about the dangers of being apathetic as black men and the importance of staying involved in politics.

“Donald Trump has shown a complete lack of respect and contempt for our communities, and especially for men of color, throughout his career,” Obama said.

Breaking out of Harris’s Saturday campaign speech, former first lady Michelle Obama, Obama expressed disbelief that the race is neck and neck.

“As my wife said yesterday, some of you, I’m sure, caught his speech in Kalamazoo. It shouldn’t be that close, because the candidates are not comparable. On the one hand, Donald Trump, someone who, as the president of the United States, has shown contempt for huge parts of the country, who have not shown the ability to move legislation that actually helped ordinary people,” said Obama.

“And on the other hand, we have Kamala Harris, who at every turn has proven to be a champion of everyday people, working to provide a voice for those who need it,” Obama continued.

“Who has shown consistent excellence at every level, from being a district attorney to being the attorney general of California to being a U.S. senator and now to vice president, she is as qualified as any presidential candidate I have ever met.” -ever seen, and her message focuses squarely on the challenges that we face as black men and that our communities face and that America faces,” Obama said of Harris.

Obama also debunked the idea that Trump was worth voting for because of the stimulus checks sent during the pandemic.

“Well, during the pandemic, Trump sent us a check. you know what First of all, it was Congress and the Democrats and Republicans who sent you a check, just as Joe Biden, working with Congress, sent you a check during the pandemic. emergency aid, just like we sent emergency aid to people during the Great Recession when I first came into office – the difference is that Joe Biden and I didn’t put our names on the check,” Obama said.

“So don’t think that because you got a check from Donald Trump, quote, blank, during the pandemic, that somehow he’s done something special that warrants you voting for him,” Obama said.

– ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim