Michelle Obama made a powerful return to her hometown of Chicago on Tuesday night, where she delivered a passionate and unequivocal endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris during the second night of the Democratic National Convention. The former first lady, revered for her grace and poise, held nothing back as she addressed the delegates in a speech that condemned Donald Trump and celebrated Harris with the message that “hope is making a comeback.”
“Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it?” the former first lady. “It’s the contagious power of hope.” She continued, “As we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt…let us not forget what we are up against,” Obama said.
Throughout her speech, Obama was direct and candid, particularly when discussing the racism that she and former President Barack Obama faced during their eight years in the White House—racism that was often fueled by Trump himself. The former president notoriously perpetuated the “birtherism” conspiracy, questioning the birthplace and legitimacy of Barack Obama, the nation’s first Black president.
“Donald Trump spent years trying to make people fear us,” Obama stated. “His narrow, limited view of the world made him feel threatened by the presence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people—who happen to be Black.”
The last time former first lady Michelle Obama spoke at the DNC was in 2016. The country was in the throes of a contentious and crass presidential campaign, and it seemed that when Trump descended the gold escalator to declare his candidacy for president, he pulled the entire nation down with him.
Attempting to elevate the discourse and rise above the vitriol, Obama uttered the now iconic phrase, “When they go low, we go high.” However, with 34 felony convictions, two impeachments, and one insurrection later, Mrs. Obama was in a different mood last night, directly calling out Trump and calling on all Americans who believe Trump is unfit for the presidency to work hard to elect Kamala Harris.
In a moment that resonated deeply with the audience, Obama delivered a pointed jab at Trump. “Wait, I want to know—who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?” she quipped, referencing a controversial comment Trump made during a June presidential debate on CNN. The remark drew cheers from the thousands of delegates gathered at the convention.
Mrs. Obama directly denounced Trump and the threat she believes he poses to the nation and its democratic values by noting his peddling of “misogynistic, racist lies,” his governance through taking things away from people such as the freedom to make choices for their own bodies, banning books and being disparaging toward the LBTQ community.
She spelled out in plain terms why she believes Trump is thoroughly unfit for office, “Going small is petty, it’s unhealthy and quite frankly, it’s unpresidential. Why would we accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize this type of backward leadership?” She continued, “We deserve so much better than that. That’s why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people, there is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!”
The former first lady drew a parallel between her own upbringing and the values her mom imparted to her and Harris’s upbringing: “Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in this country.” Obama then shared further insight into Harris’ mom: “She taught Kamala about justice…about our obligation to lift others up, about our responsibility to give more than we take.”
Calling Harris “one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the president,” she touted Harris’ relatability as a strength: “Her story is your story, it’s my story…Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what’s in your bank account, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life all of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued,” she said.
Obama then drew a sharp contrast between Harris’ worldview and Trump’s declaring,
“She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward, we will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.” Obama continued, “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. We don’t get to change the rules, so we always win…No, we put our heads down; we get to work. In America, we do something,” she said.
In sentiments echoed by various DNC speakers, Obama said Harris’ can-do spirit was evident throughout her life, “the steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light. It couldn’t be more obvious of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.”
The Obamas understand all too well the withering attacks Harris will endure on her journey to obtain the highest office in the land. And she warned the audience that they needed to be prepared, “No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is still going to be an uphill battle, so we cannot be our own worst enemies. No, the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands.” She continued, “We cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.”
Our forever First Lady then encouraged the audience to “Do something!” to make that happen at every turn. Obama also reminded everyone that they are not powerless and that this election is winnable with enough effort. “We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat, and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us. We did it before, and we sure can do it again,” she said.