Michelle Obama commanded the crowds with a powerful speech on Tuesday as she spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the very city she grew up in.
The former FLOTUS spoke just before her husband, former POTUS Barack Obama, and admitted at the start of the talk that she was close to canceling.
Michelle explained that it was still so raw being back in Chicago, as the last time she had been there it was to attend her beloved mother’s funeral.
Michelle’s mom, Marian Robinson, passed away aged 86 in May, and the grief is still very raw for the “Becoming” author.
She said: “The last time I was here in my hometown was to memorialize my mother. The woman who showed me the meaning of hard work and humility and decency. The woman who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice.
“I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn’t even sure I would be steady enough to stand before you tonight. But my heart compelled me to be here because of my sense of duty I feel to honor her memory. And to remind us all not to waste the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.”
Michelle’s speech was from the heart, and she touched further on memories of her late mom, as well as her beloved family, and how she used IVF to become a mom.
The 60-year-old was praised for her hopeful speech which included many one-liners, such as “hope is making a comeback,” and “something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn’t it.”
After sharing part of her speech on Instagram, many took to the comments section to have their say. “This was honestly one of the greatest political speeches I’ve heard in recent memory,” one wrote, while another commented: “I miss the Obamas. Michelle killed it. I got tears in my eyes of happiness.” A third added: “My forever First Lady! This speech was invigorating, powerful, and what we needed in this moment. Thank you for all you do for our country!”
Michelle then introduced her husband, Barack, onto the stage, referring to him as “the love of my life”.
Barack gave an equally hopefully and powerful speech to the cheering crowds, and joked as he walked up to the stage: “I am the only person stupid enough to speak after Michelle Obama.”
Barack also shared footage from his speech on Instagram, writing alongside it: “@KamalaHarris and @TimWalz believe in an America where ‘We the People’ includes everyone. Because that’s the only way this American experiment works. And despite what our politics might suggest, I think most Americans understand that.
“Democracy isn’t just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws in some book somewhere. It’s the values we live by, and the way we treat each other – including those who don’t look like us or pray like us or see the world exactly like we do.
“And if we each do our part over the next 77 days, we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States, and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States. So let’s get to work.”
