Former U.S. President Barack Obama took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to back Kamala Harris in her final push to become the next president in the upcoming November election.
Obama received a warm welcome as he appeared in Chicago, following speeches by his wife Michelle, Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, and other prominent Democrats and Republicans who have distanced themselves from Donald Trump.
As the first Black president of the United States, the 63-year-old Obama quickly displayed his renowned oratory skills, commending President Joe Biden as a leader he’s honored to call a friend. Recognizing the challenges Harris and her running mate Tim Walz face in their bid for the White House, Obama urged the public to “fight for an America we can believe in” and stressed the importance of voting.
“This will be a tight race in a divided nation, where too many Americans are still struggling,” Obama cautioned. He criticized Donald Trump, asserting, “Trump views power only as a tool for his own benefit. We don’t need another four years of chaos. We’ve seen this story before, and sequels tend to be worse. America is ready for a new chapter, for a President Kamala Harris.”
Obama, who spoke for over 30 minutes, has heavily invested his political influence in Harris’s campaign as she aims to become the first woman, and the first person of Black and South Asian descent, to be elected president on November 5.
Michelle Obama, who preceded him on stage, was met with loud applause and cheers. In her spirited endorsement of Harris and Walz, she declared, “Hope is making a comeback,” and highlighted the need for the nation to move beyond fear and division. She also warned that Trump would likely try to distort Harris’s narrative, as he had done in the past.
