When Michelle Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night, she made it clear to America that “hope is back.”
In her remarks, delivered under the bright lights of the United Center, thousands of people rose to their feet to welcome the former first lady to Chicago. As she spoke, Obama echoed the sentiments of those gathered in the arena and those across the country watching from home: “There’s something magical in the air, isn’t there?”
“It’s spreading all over this country that we love — a familiar feeling that has been buried too deep for too long,” she continued. “You know what I’m talking about. It’s the contagious power of hope.”
Shortly after, Obama directed some of her most striking words at Donald Trump, saying he had “done everything he could to try to make people afraid of us. His narrow, limited world view made him feel threatened by the presence of two successful, hard-working, highly educated black people.”
“I want to know who is going to tell him that the job he is currently looking for might just be one of those jobs reserved for black people?” she added.
Her words were a direct reference to Trump’s alarmist remarks earlier this summer when he baselessly claimed that immigrants coming to the United States were taking “black jobs.” The remark, made in the middle of a debate with President Joe Biden (who has since dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris), sparked controversy and sharp criticism because it not only reinforced the discredited idea that immigrants are taking jobs from American workers, but also reinforced racist stereotypes.
Obama’s speech was a departure from her 2016 Democratic National Convention speech in support of Hillary Clinton, in which she said of Trump and Republicans, “When they go down, we go up.” Since Harris took the ticket, Democrats have abandoned that idea entirely — they’re fighting Trump and have irritated the former president by mocking him and his running mate J.D. Vance as “weirdos.”
During his speech Tuesday night, Obama called Harris “one of the most qualified people ever to serve as president” and said she “embodies 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 trying to build a better life.”
In July, the Obamas publicly endorsed Harris for the Democratic nomination for president. Before introducing former President Barack Obama to the stage, Michelle urged the audience to their feet as she delivered a final jab at Trump and urged America to “do something.”
“If we see a mountain ahead of us, we don’t expect an escalator to take us to the top. We put our heads down and go to work in America and do something,” Michelle said as the crowd roared in approval. “And throughout her life, that’s what we’ve seen from Kamala Harris—the steel of her backbone, the steadfastness of her upbringing, the truth of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light. It couldn’t be clearer than with the leading candidates in this race: Only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen work and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.”
