On Tuesday (Aug. 20), former President Barack Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, returned to Chicago for the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC). New York Senator Chuck Schumer, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Maryland Senate hopeful Angela Alsobrooks, and Doug Emhoff, Kamala Harris’ husband, also delivered remarks.
Michelle earned universal praise for her speech, which began with heartfelt words about her mother, Marian Robinson, who passed away in May. She also aimed at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and delivered one of the most striking lines of the evening. "See, his limited, narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be Black," she recalled from her and Barack's time in the White House. "I want to know – who’s going to tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs?"
Barack followed Michelle with some hard-hitting barbs of his own. "It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that’s actually been getting worse now that [Trump] is afraid of losing to Kamala," he quipped. "There’s the childish nicknames, the crazy conspiracy theories, [and] this weird obsession with crowd sizes."
As expected, many took to social media to give their takes on how the Obamas did at the DNC. "Former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama gave the best political speeches in [the] history of our country," wrote NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson. "The powerful couple talked about working-class families, family values, and moving the country forward – together. They were powerful, intelligent, compassionate, and sealed with integrity." Others, including comedian Julia Claire, took a humorous approach to express Michelle’s effectiveness. "It’s insane that Barack Obama is not even the best public speaker in his marriage," she tweeted.
Check out plenty of other Twitter responses about the 44th head of state and his first lady below.