Barack Obama has said it would be a “personal insult” if black voters don’t turn out to support Hillary Clinton in the US presidential elections.

During an impassioned speech to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, an organisation that carries out research on issues affecting African-Americans, Mr Obama said it would be an “insult to his legacy” if the black community voted for Donald Trump – or refrained from voting at all – in the upcoming election.

Addressing the foundation for the last time as president, Mr Obama said: “If I hear anybody saying their vote does not matter, that it doesn’t matter who we elect – read up on your history.

“It matters. We’ve got to get people to vote. I will consider it a personal insult – an insult to my legacy – if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.

“You want to give me a good sendoff? Go vote.”

Mr Obama’s ardent speech came less than two months before election day and marked his most forceful plea to the black community to get behind Ms Clinton in the presidential race.

During the speech the President also joked about Donald Trump’s admission about his birth certificate. He said: “Isil [Isis], North Korea, poverty, climate change – none of those things weighed on my mind like the validity of my birth certificate.”

State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama Show all 6 1 /6 State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama Here's looking at you: the First Couple wait to welcome leaders to the G20 dinner, September 2009 AFP/Getty Images State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama A White House official photograph of the First Family, taken by Annie Leibovitz in September 2009: Malia sits with Michelle, Sasha stands next to Barack. In a New York Times interview, the First Lady said it was a relief to be living 'seven days a week in the same household with the same schedule…' AFP/Getty Images State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama The Obamas on their wedding day in Chicago in October 1992 AP State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama Presidential couples past and present: Ronald and Nancy Reagan in 1981 Getty Images State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in 1935 Getty Images State of the union: One year on, are we still in love with Barack and Michelle Obama A pre-presidential John F Kennedy with wife Jackie and daughter Caroline, around 1959 AFP/Getty Images

In one of his harshest critiques of Mr Trump yet, Mr Obama referred to the Republican presidential candidate as “somebody who has fought against civil rights and fought against equality and who has shown no regard for working people most of his life”.