CHICAGO— Former first lady Michelle Obama directly took on former President Donald Trump over his past jabs against her family and Vice President Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday evening.
Obama accused Trump of causing people to fear her family before she poked fun at his comments about race during his debate against President Joe Biden in late June.
“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happened to be black,” Obama said to loud applause. “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those “Black jobs?”
In another dig at Trump, but without naming him, Obama claimed: “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead no we don’t get to change the rules so we always win.”
The comments likely alluded to Trump’s behavior after losing the 2020 election to Biden and the election interference claims he has made since then.
“If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top,” she continued, indirectly alluding to Trump’s infamous escalator moment when he launched his first presidential campaign in 2015.
“Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency,” Obama said in another subtle rebuke of Trump’s claims that Harris is a DEI (Diversty, Equity, and Inclusion) candidate. “And she is one of the most dignified—a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and probably to your mother too, the embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country.”
Obama also spent time championing Harris’s ability to lead should she be elected as president. “America, hope is making a comeback,” Obama declared early on before recounting the dread she has felt and the grief over her late mother Marian Robinson.
“I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn’t even sure I’d be steady enough to stand before you tonight,” Obama said. “But my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty I feel to honor her memory and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.”
The former first lady reflected on the American values her mother taught her, including justice, hard work, and sacrifice. “Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values,” Obama said. “Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.”
Obama also implored attendees to “do something” whether that be registering to vote, creating a voting plan, or combating lies against Harris. “Just a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner,” she said. “So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt we need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us.”
Obama’s speech preceded her husband, former President Barack Obama, during the second day of the convention.
The former first lady’s viral quip “when they go low we go high” delighted Democrats during the 2016 convention but since the party has embraced a willingness to hit back at Republicans sometimes in a juvenile manner.
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Obama has long made it clear she has no interest in running for office despite her high popularity with Democrats and her electrifying welcome as she took the stage Tuesday.
“She sees her place as getting folks registered to vote, making sure that they understand why they must vote. And in democracy, there’s a space for us all,” said Selvena Brooks-Powers, a New York City Council member from Queens.
“We don’t all have to be president or in that role to be able to invoke change,” Brooks-Powers added. “And I think that from what I’ve observed over the years from the former first lady, that’s what I’ve gotten from her, but would we want for her one day to decide to run? I think everybody kind of would love to see that. Right now, we’re all excited and thrilled about Kamala.”
