Michelle Obama fired up the internet on the evening of Aug. 20 after taking some flaming jabs at former President Donald Trump.
The former first lady came to the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention this week suited up in her sleeveless, navy blue Monse’s resort jacket with matching blue pants, ready to take on tens of thousands of supporters who filled the Chicago auditorium.
From the time she walked out on stage, the room roared with exhilaration from the audience whose applause went on so long that it delayed Obama from initially speaking.
Once her 21-minute speech began, Barack’s wife used every second of it to engage with her audience about the importance of voting, to further endorse and boost current Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy as the next president of the United States, and to pay tribute to her recently deceased mother, whom she honored for being of service to her community.
But it was her reference to Trump’s “Black Jobs” remark that earned her a spot in several headlines.
After uplifting Harris, the mother of two warned the audience that as the presidential campaign continues, the opposing camp would try to “distort her truth” — a strategy which she says she and former President Barack Obama are all too familiar with, specifically from Trump.
Michelle went on to say, “For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. 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.”
“I want to know,” she continued, “Who’s going to tell him that the job he is currently seeking might just be one of those Black jobs.”
The reference comes from a June presidential debate between Trump and then-running presidential candidate, President Joe Biden, where Trump made anti-immigration claims in regards to how immigrants could affect employment for the Black and Hispanic population.
Trump said, “The fact is that [Biden’s] big kill on the Black people is the millions of people that he’s allowed to come in through the border. They’re taking Black jobs now — and it could be 18, it could be 19 and even 20 million people. They’re taking Black jobs, and they’re taking Hispanic jobs, and you haven’t seen it yet, but you’re gonna see something that’s going to be the worst in our history.”
Watch the audience laugh at Trump as he makes a fool of himself trying to explain what he calls “Black jobs”. (Video: CNN) pic.twitter.com/GoZHWcdU2C
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 31, 2024
The statements caused a viral trend on social media with many fed up and annoyed individuals wanting clarification on what a “Black job” is.
Obama’s swiping reference at the DNC was quickly recognized not just by many people in the audience but also by viewers watching from home, garnering a plethora of supporting responses.
Several suggested Obama, would be a suitable candidate to run for President. One person said, “Michelle Obama is probably the only person alive who could easily be President if she wanted to but just…doesn’t” and another person wrote, “Republicans are so lucky that Michelle Obama hates politics.”
Michelle Obama is probably the only person alive who could easily be President if she wanted to but just…doesn’t
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) August 21, 2024
Someone else referencing Obama’s infamous “when they go low we go high” statement wrote, “She was tired of him going low, she chewed his SSA up tonight! Her speech was phenomenal”
A fourth person said, “Her speech was EVERYTHING. Classy, inspiring and hopeful from start to finish. And the added lil “belt to a–” she gave him was the icing on the cake.”
Day three of the Democratic National Convention takes place on Aug. 21 at 6:30 pm eastern. The expected speakers to take the stage will be former President Bill Clinton, Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Harris’ running Vice President, Gov. Tim Walz.
