On the second day of the Democratic National Convention, the Obamas took center stage and delivered electrifying speeches that reverberated through the United Center in Chicago.
The convention, already energized by a capacity crowd in Milwaukee where Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during a rally, reached new heights as the former First Lady and former President rallied Democrats with their powerful words.
Harris, who spoke to a packed arena in Milwaukee, had her speech live streamed into the United Center, effectively connecting the two cities in a show of Democratic unity and strength. Her presence set the tone for the evening, with her words filling both venues.
Michelle Obama took the stage before her husband in Chicago, immediately captivating the audience. “Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it? I’m talking about the contagious power of hope,” she declared as the United Center enthusiastically rocked. “America, hope is making a comeback. Kamala Harris is one of the most qualified people to ever seek the office of president. And she is dignified.”
The former first lady didn’t shy away from addressing the twice-impeached and 34-times convicted felon and former President Donald Trump directly. “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us,” she remarked.
“His limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking and highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black. Who wants to tell him that job he’s seeking just might be one of those Black jobs?” she asked, eliciting raucous applause from the crowd.
She continued to dismantle Trump’s rhetoric, particularly his attempts to question the Blackness of Harris and other Democrats. “No one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American, no one,” she declared, her words striking a chord with the audience.
The former first lady also indirectly targeted Trump when she told the crowd, “Most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth. If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis we don’t get a second, third, or fourth chance.”
She continued, “If things don’t go our way, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. We don’t get to change the rules so we always win. 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. No, we put our heads down and get to work.”
Barack Obama then took the stage and immediately lifted the energy in the arena to a fever pitch. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling fired up,” he began, his voice booming across the United Center. “Even if I’m the only person stupid enough to speak right after Michelle Obama.”
Obama then turned his focus to Harris, praising her as a leader who embodies the best of what America stands for. “This country has a chance to elect someone who’s spent her whole life trying to give people the same chances America gave her,” Obama said. “Someone who sees you and hears you and will get up every single day and fight for you: the next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.”
He also drew a sharp contrast between Harris’s vision for the country and the policies of Trump and his allies. “For them, one group’s gain is another group’s loss. For them, freedom means that the powerful can do what they please, whether its firing workers trying to organize a union, poisoning our rivers, or avoiding paying taxes like everyone else has to do,” he said, highlighting the fundamental differences in their approaches to leadership.
The former president also made a joke about Trump’s obsession with crowd sizes that is bound to go viral.
Throughout the night, other prominent Democrats joined the Obamas in rallying the crowd. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth delivered a searing critique of Trump’s attacks on reproductive rights. “I take it personally when a five-time draft-dodging coward like Donald Trump tries to take away my rights and freedoms in return—especially when it concerns my daughters,” Duckworth said.
Maryland Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks reflected on her close relationship with Harris, emphasizing the vice president’s dedication to justice and public safety. “Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets,” Alsobrooks said. “And come November, with our help, she’ll keep one out of the Oval Office,” a line that drew loud cheers from the Chicago crowd.
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham contrasted Harris’s healthcare policies with Trump’s, criticizing the former president’s attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. “Donald Trump and JD Vance want to dismantle our healthcare system, repeal the Affordable Care Act, and eliminate protections for preexisting conditions. Either these guys don’t get it, or they don’t care,” Grisham said.
Barack Obama left the crowd with a final, resonant message: “If we work like we’ve never worked before, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next president and Tim Walz as the next vice president. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure, more just, more equal, and free.”
Walz is set to take the stage Wednesday night, following former President Bill Clinton and a reported Prince tribute by John Legend.