Obama Rallies Democrats at DNC, Urges Focus on Voting Over Booing Trump
Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Twitter via Getty Images and Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.
At the 2024 Democratic National Convention last week, former President Barack Obama made a powerful appearance, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate while also praising President Joe Biden. Obama used his speech to highlight the dangers of a second Donald Trump term, prompting the crowd to boo Trump.
However, Obama quickly redirected their energy, urging them to channel their frustration into voting wisely, as reported by Newsweek. Criticizing Trump, Obama remarked, “We have seen that movie before—and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually been getting worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala.
There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, this weird obsession with crowd sizes… it just goes on and on,” according to Sky News. Obama also touched on Trump’s impact on immigration reform, stating, “He killed a bipartisan immigration deal, written in part by one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress.”
Obama emphasized that Trump’s decision to abandon the deal was motivated by self-interest, saying, “That would have helped secure our southern border because he thought trying to actually solve the problem would hurt his campaign.” As the crowd responded with boos, Obama urged them to stay focused on the bigger picture, telling them, “Do not boo; vote.”
This call to action was met with cheers, underscoring Obama’s consistent message of proactive participation in the democratic process. Throughout his speech, Obama underscored his deep connection with Biden, calling him “an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of danger,” and adding, “I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama also took the stage to critique Trump, accusing him of using fear and divisive rhetoric as a substitute for real solutions. “Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us—doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better,” she said.
Michelle highlighted the stark contrast between Harris and Trump, emphasizing Harris’s exceptional qualifications for the presidency. She also took a pointed jab at Trump, quipping that someone should tell him “the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs.'”
In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed the Obamas’ remarks as “unfounded personal attacks from washed-up Democrats,” accusing them of focusing on grievances rather than offering solutions for Americans’ problems. Cheung added, “This is why Kamala and Democrats will lose in November—they’re more interested in personal grievances than in helping people,” as reported by CNBC.
