(NewsNation) — Former first lady Michelle Obama brought the Democratic National Convention to its feet Tuesday, delivering a speech in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and highlighting the hope she feels returning to their party.
“Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it?” she asked the crowd. “Not just here in this arena but spreading all across this country we love — a familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for too long.
“It’s the contagious power of hope.”
The Chicago native talked about losing her mother, Marian Robinson, and the values she was raised on. Those same qualities, she said, are at the core of Vice President Kamala Harris’ being.
“She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency, 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 continued.
Alongside her praise for Harris was disdain for former President Donald Trump, the candidate, she said, who “did everything in his power to try to make people fear us” by “doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies.”
“His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,” she said. “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?”
She also referenced Trump’s campaign slogan, turning it on its head with the claim: “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.”
Obama bit back at Trump’s leadership and policies, once again pointing to Harris as a beacon of hope for the nation.
“In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division and smallness of the past. We have the power to marry our hope with our action,” she said. “We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us.”
Her husband, former President Barack Obama, closed out the night’s speakers. The couple’s appearance comes just a day after President Joe Biden officially handed Harris the torch with an emotional endorsement.