Barack and Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris at this year’s Democratic National Convention – and took the opportunity to slam her opponent, Donald Trump.
Obama also took the time to praise Joe Biden for withdrawing, referring to his former vice president as ‘a president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger’.
The couple wrapped up the second night of the convention, being held in Chicago.
Obama said: ‘Here is 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,’ he said. ‘The childish nicknames and crazy conspiracy theories and weird obsession with crowd size.’
Moving on to his former vice president, Obama said he was ‘proud’ to call Biden not only his president, but ‘his friend.’
Former first lady Michelle Obama also slammed Trump, adding: ‘His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be black.
‘Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s seeking might be one of those ‘black jobs’?’
In an appearance perhaps intended to needle Mr Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham – now a harsh critic of her former boss – also took to the convention stage earlier in the evening.
She said Mr Trump ‘has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.’
Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who would become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared personal details about their relationship with Ms Harris – their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.
Emhoff said: ‘You know that laugh. I love that laugh. Her empathy is her strength.’
Among the celebrities appearing at the convention on Tuesday night were director Spike Lee and actors Sean Astin, Eva Longoria and Wendell Pierce.
Obama concluded his remarks by saying the race remains close, and asked voters to ask themselves ‘who will fight for them?’.
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