White House correspondent April Ryan linked former President Obama with Jesus and suggested Vice President Kamala Harris could join the list.
TheGrio D.C. bureau chief previewed the excitement surrounding Obama and his wife Michelle’s speeches at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) Tuesday night.
After praising Michelle Obama as "stratospheric" and "authentic," Ryan especially highlighted the former president, putting him on a list alongside Jesus Christ and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
"I mean, I joke about this, but there is Jesus, HBCUs and then there’s Barack Obama. It may change. It may change a little bit if Kamala Harris becomes president. But you know, these are two people people want to hear from right now," Ryan commented.
She also gave additional praise to Michelle Obama for looking like an "everyday woman" after MSNBC's "Deadline: White House" host Nicolle Wallace referred to her as a "cultural icon."
"This moment is even larger than when Barack Obama became president. I remember the night that he was elected and I happen to be at the White House. And I’ll never forget all of the kids who ran to the White House. And just the spontaneous crowd, because they saw change. They saw people who are authentic and look like them and Michelle Obama is that person," she added.
Ryan continued, "She said, ‘When they go low, we go high.’ She raised her kids. She looked like an everyday woman instead of being this iconic woman that you could see in Vogue. She stays the same. She cares about people and that is why people listen to her."
The Obamas will headline the second night of the Democratic National Convention under the banner of the Democrats' "Bold Vision for America’s Future."
Obama, who had President Biden as his vice president for two terms, ultimately endorsed Harris after Biden exited the race, but not immediately. At first, Obama declared that the party would be "navigating uncharted waters" but said he had "confidence" that the Democratic Party would "be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges."
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He and Michelle later endorsed Harris five days after Biden left the race.
