Michelle Obama: Hillary Clinton will be a president who 'sees the dignity in all of us'


In front of thousands in Philadelphia on Monday night, First Lady Michelle Obama made her final case for electing Hillary Clinton, telling the crowd that the United States needs a leader who "sees the dignity in all of us" and views "our diversity not as a threat, but as a blessing."
The United States needs a leader who is "truly ready to be commander in chief on Day 1," she continued. "We deserve a leader who will ensure that our daughters are safe and respected and that our sons understand that truly strong men are compassionate and kind." Throughout her entire life, Clinton has helped others, including "kids in crumbling schools, families struggling to get by, women who need a voice. When the going gets tough, Hillary is the person we want on our side, because she never gives up, she never quits, she refuses to ever be knocked down, pushed around, or counted out."
The first lady also thanked the country for giving the Obamas the "extraordinary honor" of being First Family. "Thank you for your love, thank you for your prayers, thank you for welcoming us into your communities with open hearts," she said. Every day, Americans "inspire" the Obamas with their "courage" and "decency," and the Obamas "have tried to make you proud and live up to the standard of citizenship that you set, because we know that our words and actions are a reflection to the world of who we are as a nation, and more importantly, our actions are a reflection of what behavior we hope our children will emulate." Obama said she believes her and her husband have a "duty to ensure that this country is handed over to a leader we all can trust, a leader who takes this job seriously," and by voting for Clinton, "you can say that this country has always been great, that it is the greatest nation on Earth."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Obama then introduced the president, telling the crowd she is proud of him for "not just what he has done, but how he has done it, getting a job done in the face of unimaginable challenges, always going high when they go low, showing us all what intelligence, dignity, and grace really look like, and never ever compromising his values or beliefs." Catherine Garcia
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Withdrawing 529 plan funds for college? Here's what to know.
the explainer Maximize the amount you have stashed away for your education
-
Elon Musk slams Trump's 'pork-filled' signature bill
speed read 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,' Musk posted on X
-
Depleted FEMA struggling as hurricane season begins
speed read FEMA has lost a third of its workforce amid DOGE cuts enforced by President Donald Trump
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs