Former First Lady Michelle Obama gave the keynote speech at the first live-streamed virtual night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday evening. She delivered a confident condemnation of President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., as well as urged Americans to vote and praised the Democratic nominee Joe Biden as a worthy candidate.
In her speech, Obama urged Americans to make the right choice in the upcoming elections and paid tribute to people who are suffering amid the pandemic. She condemned Trump as the “wrong president” for the U.S. and warned what can come next as “our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long.”
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” she said in the pre-taped speech.
“If you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” she said.
Former first lady drew attention to the ongoing racism protests in the country and condemned the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, who were murdered by policemen. She called Trump out for “lack of empathy” amid the crisis.
“Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy,” she said.
Obama also sent a message to her viewers with her necklace that showcased letters that spelled V-O-T-E. Obama, who has been advocating for Americans to vote, talked about the importance of showing up on election day again. She encouraged Americans to vote early, in person – “to stand in line all night if we have to,” or “request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received.”
Obama also praised Biden as “a profoundly decent man, guided by faith” who “knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country.” She sent a straightforward message to endorse Biden for the presidency and said that her listeners “have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored.”
