Obama Slams Trump During DNC Speech

On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama delivered his most animated speech in almost a decade at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, passing his legacy to Vice President Kamala Harris while taking aim at former President Donald Trump.

After delivering a speech at the scaled-down Democratic convention four years ago and campaigning ahead of the 2022 midterms, Obama has largely stayed out of the spotlight for the past two years, working behind the scenes as Democrats sought to replace President Joe Biden following his disastrous June debate performance.

Aides have noted that limiting his public appearances adds more weight to his words, and on Tuesday night, the former president finally stepped back into the spotlight, closing out the second night of the Democratic convention alongside his wife, Michelle Obama.

Obama’s speech served as a bridge between Biden’s farewell address on Monday, which highlighted his and Harris’ achievements over the past four years, and the final two nights focused on the revamped Democratic ticket.

The speech also reaffirmed his status as one of the party’s most effective and beloved voices, alongside wife Michelle Obama, who delivered a powerful address linking the excitement around Harris’ young campaign to the same hope her husband sparked during his historic run.

Speaking to a packed arena where many delegates stood throughout his 35-minute speech, Obama declared, “The torch has been passed.”

He praised Biden’s character, presidency and decision to step aside, while sharply contrasting Harris with “a guy whose acts has — let’s face it — gotten pretty stale.”

“We needed a leader who was steady, and brought people together and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country,” said Obama.

The former president tore into Trump, calling him “a 78-year-old billionaire who hasn’t stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.”

“It’s been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually gotten worse now that he’s afraid of losing to Kamala. The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories and weird obsession with crowd size. It just goes on and on,” he said.

Obama continued, “The other day, I heard someone compare Trump to the neighbor who keeps running his leaf blower outside your window every minute every day,” assuring that Harris “is not the neighbor running the leaf blower – she’s the neighbor rushing over to help when you need a hand.”

Obama, whose relationship with Harris spans 20 years, highlighted her background as a prosecutor, senator and vice president, presenting her and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as leaders who “have kept faith with America’s central story.”

“America is ready for a new chapter. America’s ready for a better story. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris,” Obama told the crowd.

The former president also highlighted Harris’ central campaign theme, contrasting the Democrats with the Republican ticket on the issue of freedom.

“For them, one group’s gain is another group’s loss. For them, freedom means that the powerful can do what they please, whether it’s fire workers trying to organize a union or poison rivers or avoid paying takes like everybody has to do,” Obama said, declaring that Democrats subscribe to “a broader idea of freedom.”

Obama concluded, “As much as any policy or program, I believe that’s what we yearn for — a return to an America where we work together and look out for each other…That’s what this election is about.”