When Michelle Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, she made it clear to America: “Hope is making a comeback.”
Thousands stood as she delivered her speech under the bright lights of the United Center to welcome the former first lady to Chicago. As she spoke, Obama expressed what people in the arena and across the country watching from home were feeling: “There’s something wonderfully magical in the air, isn’t there?”
She continued: “It’s spreading across this country we love – a familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the contagious power of hope.”
Soon after, Obama directed some of her harshest words at Donald Trump, saying he had “done everything in his power to make people afraid of us. His narrow, limited view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be black.”
She added: “I want to know who is going to tell him that the job he is currently looking for might be one of those black jobs?”
Her words were a direct reference to Trump’s fearmongering over the summer, when he baselessly claimed that migrants coming to the US were taking jobs away from “black” workers. The remark, made during a debate with President Joe Biden (who has since dropped out of the race and is supporting Kamala Harris), sparked controversy and sharp criticism, as it not only promoted the dubious notion that migrants are taking jobs away from US workers, but also reinforced racist stereotypes.
Obama’s speech was a departure from her 2016 speech supporting Hillary Clinton to the Democratic National Convention, in which she said of Trump and Republicans, “When they go low, we go high.” Since Harris took the ticket, Democrats have abandoned that notion entirely – taking the fight to Trump and getting under the former president’s skin, deriding him and his running mate, JD Vance, as “weird.”
In his speech Tuesday night, Obama called Harris “one of the most qualified people to ever seek the office of president” and said she was “the embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country. Her story is your story. It’s my story. It’s the story of the vast majority of Americans who are trying to build a better life for themselves.”
The Obamas publicly endorsed Harris for the Democratic presidential nomination in July. Before bringing former President Barack Obama to the stage, Michelle rocked the arena as she took one final swipe at Trump, urging America to “do something.”
“When we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect an escalator to take us to the top. We bury our heads in the sand. We get to work in America, we do something,” Michelle said as the crowd roared in agreement. “And that’s exactly what we’ve seen from Kamala Harris her entire life: the toughness of her backbone, the consistency of her parenting, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light. Of the two major candidates in this race, it couldn’t be more obvious: Only Kamala Harris truly understands the invisible work and unwavering commitment that have always made America great.”
