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CNN Live Event/Special
Second Night Of Historic DNC Under Way; President Obama And Michelle Obama Arrive At DNC; Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Speaks At DNC. Aired 10-11p ET
Aired August 20, 2024 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
GOV. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM, (D) NEW MEXICO: She'll go after corporate price gougers and ensure every woman who needs it can access reproductive healthcare.
[22:00:04]
That's the President I want. And that's the President America needs. And with your help, that's the next President of the United States.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GRISHAM: President Kamala Harris. [22:00:00]
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: The governor of New Mexico saying goodbye to the crowd here. It is now 10:00 P.M. Eastern, 9:00 P.M. Central here in Chicago. The primetime speech by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is just a few minutes away, and then closing out the convention tonight, former First Lady Michelle Obama, who will be followed by the former president, Barack Obama, delivering the headliner address.
Let's go to Kaitlan Collins on the floor right now. She has some new reporting on the speeches that will be given by Mr. and Mrs. Obama. Kaitlan, tell us what you're learning.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Jake. Obviously, everyone is waiting for the Obamas to take the stage. I am told they have arrived here at the United Center. They are preparing to go on stage back to back. And what I'm told is that leading up to them delivering these speeches tonight is they have been looking over each other's drafts, sharing them with one another, giving each other suggestions on what those speeches should look like tonight.
Obviously, we are going to see the former first lady, who gave a very memorable performance tonight speech at the last full, in-person Democratic Convention in 2016 with that memorable line of when they go low, we go high. We'll see what she says tonight. And then she will be followed by her husband, former President Barack Obama. They've been sharing drafts of those speeches with one another as they prepare for this moment tonight.
And obviously they've been closely involved with Vice President Harris since she became the top of the ticket in a very dramatic exit, of course, of President Biden from the ticket just over a month ago. So, we'll see how they make the case for her and her election here tonight, Jake.
TAPPER: Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much.
And, you know, they have known Kamala Harris since she was -- I think she was a San Francisco District Attorney in 2004. They have been friends and supportive of her. She has been supportive of the Obamas, specifically then-Senator Barack Obama. She was door knocking for him when he was running for president in 2008. So, this is a relationship that's gone on for quite some time.
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. I should say that I was told that his speech is right now clocking in at under 30 minutes. So, for President Obama, that's a pretty short speech. I think we want to listen to this video.
TAPPER: Okay, let's watch this video. It's called The Fighter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYA HARRIS, KAMALA HARRIS' SISTER: And I just had to laugh, because I'm like, you don't know my sister.
LATEEFAH SIMON, POLITICIAN: Kamala, had been a hard and tough prosecutor in Alameda County, prosecuting men who were pimping young girls and rapists.
BRIAN NELSON, GENERAL COUNSEL, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (2011- 2015): Kamala wanted to make sure that murderers and child abusers face meaningful accountability and consequences for those actions.
M. HARRIS: One of the cases that she had early in her career was where a man had scalped his girlfriend and she ended up getting a conviction, getting justice for that woman.
SIMON: She came to San Francisco to protect victims, and she was elected to be District Attorney of San Francisco. Kamala knew that we needed to be smart on crime. And if hell, no one else was going to do it, that she was going to do it.
KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT (D) AND PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm going to keep my promise to you to keep you safe, I'd better talk with you about what I'm doing in terms of crime prevention. Investing in people coming out of prisons is the smart thing to do for law enforcement. Forget that it's just the right thing to do.
(APPLAUSE)
SIMON: That was a young Kamala Harris. She's only gotten more fierce. I've never seen her back down from a fight. And when she fights, she wins.
M. HARRIS: When Kamala became Attorney General, she wanted to protect people, but also to fundamentally pursue justice. K. HARRIS: Being smart on crime starts with being tough on violent crime.
NELSON: From a statewide perspective, I think we were concerned about the rise of gang violence.
TORI VERBER SALAZAR, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, 2015-2023: In San Joaquin County, we saw this tremendous change in our community, and it hit us like a wave. We saw an increase in human trafficking, narcotics and guns.
K. HARRIS: Let it be clear to anyone who had menaced this state with violence, to those who prey on the weak and the vulnerable, justice will be swift and certain in the state of California.
SALAZAR: She was always hunting the kingpins, but we didn't have partnerships with DOJ or FBI or DEA or any of those law enforcement agencies. Now, we all work collaboratively to help all the counties in California.
[22:05:02]
Because of her, we destabilized organized crime, disrupt these flows of guns, human beings and narcotics.
K. HARRIS: We are here this afternoon to announce the shutting down of one of the biggest and most organized threats to the safety of the Central Valley.
NELSON: I really think of her as fearless, a fighter.
M. HARRIS: Kamala just perseveres. And mommy would say "it's too hard"is never an excuse. Making excuses is a failure to not only take responsibility, but to take action. If you have the will, the desire, the passion, the commitment, there is no challenge that is insurmountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome the Democratic nominee for Senate in Maryland, Angela Alsobrooks.
(APPLAUSE)
ANGELA ALSOBROOKS (D-MD), SENATE CANDIDATE: Good evening, America. And, hello, Maryland!
People like me -- thank you. People like me, stories like mine, don't usually make it to the United States Senate, but they should. I am the proud granddaughter of a housekeeper, Sarah Daisy (ph), who raised her three children in a one-bedroom apartment.
It was her dream to work in government, to help people. That meant taking a typing test, but she didn't know how to type and she couldn't afford a typewriter. So, she put a white piece of paper on the refrigerator and drew a keyboard on it. And every night she stood in front of that refrigerator and taught herself to type.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: She took the test, passed it, and got the job she dreamed of. I am her legacy.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: And tonight, I am a candidate for United States Senate from the great state of Maryland.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: I've always been inspired by women like my grandmother, women who imagine a better future, and then have the grit to make it a reality. One of those women is a friend, a mentor, and a role model. That woman is Kamala Harris.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: Let me tell you about the Kamala I've known for 14 years. I first heard about her in 2009 when I was running for state attorney in Prince George's County, Maryland.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: I read a story in Essence Magazine about a district attorney in San Francisco using new ideas to keep her community safe. Few had a better record prosecuting violent crime. She put rapists, child molesters, and murderers behind bars. But what she knew was that violent crime accounts for about 30 percent of all crimes, for the 70 percent that are nonviolent, she created a first-of-its-kind program called Back on Track.
After serving time and pleading guilty, these low-level offenders would get the job training, GED help, and apprenticeships they needed to find a job.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: The result, the recidivism rate plummeted. Now after reading about this super bad district attorney, I talked non-stop about her on the campaign trail. Two days after I won the election, my phone rings. It's Kamala Harris calling to congratulate me and ask how she could help.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: She helped me bring Back on Track to Maryland. And wouldn't you know it, crime went down and economic growth went up. Back on Track is now a national model.
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: Now, now Donald Trump says, if Kamala Harris is elected, tough guys will treat her like a play toy. [22:10:02]
Do you know who else thought that? The drug cartel she busted, the big oil company she made pay for polluting, the big banks that she made pay $20 billion to homeowners they ripped off.
Getting justice for others isn't a power trip for her, it's a sacred calling. And hear me, Kamala Harris knows how to keep criminals off the streets.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: And come November, with your help, she'll keep one out of the Oval Office.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: Ever since Donald Trump rode down that ridiculous escalator, we, as a nation, have felt trapped. Every national decision has been made in reaction to this one man and his extremist MAGA movement.
We are still frozen by the fear that Donald Trump might once again come to power. And it's not just our politics that have been trapped, it's our imagination.
And then, Kamala came along. Kamala has reminded us that we don't need to fear anything, not the future, and certainly not that man.
(CHEERING)
ALSOBROOKS: This is our moment to leave Donald Trump where he belongs -- in America's past.
(CHEERING)
ALSOBROOKS: We stand with Kamala Harris because we, as a country, are not going back.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: For the ancestors who sat at lunch counters and made sure that we all had the right to vote, we are not going back. For the mamas and grandmamas who marched to make sure that women could control our own bodies, we are not going back. For the parents who work from can't see in the morning until can't see at night, not so that they will have a better future, but so that their children will have a better life, we are not going back.
When facing an obstacle, my father has often said to me, your faith is stronger than your fears. Tonight, our faith is stronger than our fears. Faith in the promise of America, faith in the American idea, in the American values that we share, faith that we, the people, can choose a new leader, a better future for the people.
(CHEERING)
ALSOBROOKS: Faith that as dark as our days and challenges have sometimes felt, it's always darkest before the dawn. We know that we can endure for a night because joy cometh in the morning.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
ALSOBROOKS: Morning is coming. Morning is coming. And that joy will be led by Kamala Harris. Thank you so much.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(CHANTING)
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome Mesa, Arizona Mayor, John Giles.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
MAYOR JOHN GILES (R), MESA, ARIZONA: Good evening. I have a confession to make. I'm a lifelong Republican. So, I feel a little out of place tonight. But I feel more at home here than in today's Republican Party.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
GILES: The grand old party has been kidnapped by extremists and devolved into a cult, the cult of Donald Trump. Trump doesn't know the first thing about public service. Like a child, he acts purely out of self-interest. We all need an adult in the White House. And we've seen what happens when we don't have one.
[22:15:01]
Trump made a lot of lofty promises, unlimited economic growth, American manufacturing reborn, a secure border. Turns out Donald Trump was all talk. He wanted our votes, but he couldn't deliver a thing. But these days, my city of Mesa, Arizona is on the move.
I'm going to ribbon cuttings every single week all because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris reached across the aisle and they delivered for my conservative community and countless more across the country.
(APPLAUSE)
GILES: My hero, John McCain, taught us -- taught us to put country over party. And that's how Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will lead, too.
I have an urgent message for the majority of Americans who, like me, are in the political middle. John McCain's Republican Party is gone, and we don't owe a damn thing to what's been left behind.
(APPLAUSE)
GILES: So let's turn the page. Let's put country first. Let's put adults in the room, where our country deserves. Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
TAPPER: All right. Dana Bash, it has been a pretty big and exciting night for Democrats tonight, and, of course, the big event coming up, Abby Phillip. Barack Obama, Michelle Obama are going to speak this evening. But right now we are waiting for Doug Emhoff to speak. There's so much that people do not know about Vice President Kamala Harris, more than a third of registered voters, according to one poll I saw. So, they really don't even know what she stands for. This all happened so quickly.
BASH: And it is almost always the spouse who fills in the blanks, most importantly, obviously, the blanks of who she is as a human being. And for this particular couple, they are relatively unique for this position, but certainly not unique in America, in that they are part of a blended family.
And so we expect him to lean into how she came into his life as somebody who's divorced his ex-wife, you mentioned this earlier, is here, is part of the extended modern family, and how she brought his kids into her life and how they kind of connect through all of that.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I mean, it's an unconventional family story. I mean, the two of them met later in both of their lives And even though she herself does not have biological children. This persona of Mamala is a big part of who. She is that to both her stepchildren, but also to her nieces and to a lot of children in her life.
And I think one of the things Doug is going to do tonight is talk about that side of her, that side of her that is a mother figure to all of these types of people who may not be biologically related to her but are part of her family.
TAPPER: Let's listen in as the senator from Illinois, Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran, speaks.
SEN. TAMMY DUCKWORTH, (D) ILLINOIS: Hello, Chicago!
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: Hello, Chicago!
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: You know... (APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: You know, I went to war to protect America's rights and freedoms. So I take it personally when a five-time draft-dodging coward like Donald Trump tries to take away...
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: ... tries to take away my rights and freedoms in return, especially when it concerns my daughters. My girls, gamer girl Abigail and queen of the monkey bars, Maile, are everything to me. But they would never have been born without access to reproductive care.
(APPLAUSE)
Because, after 10 years of struggling with infertility, I was only able to have them through the miracle of IVF.
(APPLAUSE)
But now Trump's anti-woman crusade has put other Americans' right to have their own families at risk. Because, if they win, Republicans will not stop at banning abortion.
[22:20:01]
They will come for IVF next. They'll prosecute doctors. And they will shame and spy on women. And if you think that's far-fetched, just look up what happened in Alabama last year.
So let me say to every would-be parent, I see you, I'm with you. And together in November, we'll send a message to old cadet bones furs.
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: Stay out of our doctor's offices and while you're at it, out of the Oval Office, too.
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: Look, my struggle with infertility was more painful than any wound I earned on the battlefield. So how dare a convicted felon like Donald Trump treat women seeking health care like they're the ones breaking the law?
How dare J.D. Vance criticize childless women on cable news, then -- then vote against legislation that would have actually helped Americans to start families.
(APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: How dare the GOP endangered the dreams of countless veterans whose combat wounds prevent them from having kids without IVF, punishing our heroes for their willingness to serve. It's simple. Every American deserves the right to be called mommy or daddy without being treated like a criminal. (APPLAUSE)
DUCKWORTH: Kamala Harris believes that. So let's make some history and elect her in November. God bless America.
(APPLAUSE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLE EMHOFF, DOUGLAS EMHOFF'S SON: This is my dad, Doug. He was raised in Jersey, moved to L.A. when he was 16. These are his parents, Barb and Mike. They think he walks on water. This is what he wore to his bar mitzvah. Here's him at summer camp. They voted him most athletic, so he says, this is a photo McDonald's used when he was employee of the month. It hung on our wall for years.
My dad is a lawyer, a really good one. My mom called him the crisis guy because he was everyone's first call. My parents split when I was in middle school, and that wasn't easy. That's not easy for any kid, but it helped that my parents stayed friends and we all kept hanging together.
We grew closer than ever. And then he met Kamala, the blind date that would dramatically change all of our lives forever. It was my senior year of high school. Ella and I would laugh watching them fall in love acting like teenagers.
In 2014, Kamala became Mamala. She took over Sunday night dinners and taught Doug how to actually cook. Our blended family wasn't used to politics or the spotlight. But when Kamala became senator, we were all excited to step up, especially my dad.
Then Kamala became vice president. It felt like Doug was a bit out of place on Capitol Hill. I thought, what is my goofy dad doing here? But he embraced it. He left his practice after being a lawyer for 30 years. That was tough.
I was so proud to watch him do it, to stand by her side, an example of true partnership. I just got married myself, and he's inspired me as a new husband. Anyone who really gets close to him knows he's kind, loving and fiercely protective.
I mean, just look at this face. This is my dad, the first second gentleman in the history of this nation. He's found his voice around the issues that matter to him.
DOUGLAS EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN: You have no choice but to speak up and speak out.
[22:25:00]
There is an epidemic of hate, including a crisis of anti-Semitism in our country and around the world. What they are doing on reproductive freedom and freedom in general is just outrageous.
C. EMHOFF: And next, he's going to make history again as the 1st, 1st gentleman. I can't wait for everyone to get to know why we all love him. He is the glue that keeps this family together. We might not look like other families in the White House, but we are ready to represent all families in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
COLE EMHOFF, DOUGLAS EMHOFF'S SON: Please welcome my dad, the second gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
DOUGLAS EMHOFF, SECOND GENTLEMAN OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you, Cole. I guess he didn't want me to give this speech. He just -- thank you. Thank you so much. Hello. Thank you.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Hello to my big, beautiful, blended family up there.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: I love you so much. Aren't you proud of Cole? Wow. And a special shout out to my mother.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: I see you. My mother is the only person in the whole world who thinks Kamala is the lucky one for marrying me.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: And to Kamala who, well, we just saw where she is. She is out on the trail listening to and talking with voters. Honey, I can't wait for you to come back to Chicago, because we're having a great time here.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: I love you so much. I'm so proud of how you're stepping up for all of us, but that's who she is. Wherever she is needed, however she is needed, Kamala rises to the occasion, and she did it for me and our family, and now that the country needs her, she is showing you what we already know. She is ready to lead.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: She brings both joy and toughness to this task, and she will be a great President we will all be proud of.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Now, I'm the son of two Brooklynites, Mike and Barb.
(CHEERING)
D. EMHOFF: They've been together almost 70 years. My dad worked in the shoe business in Manhattan, and he moved our family out to New Jersey. Where is New Jersey?
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: I see you out there. When I was a little kid, in a lot of ways, I had a typical Jersey suburban childhood. I biked around the neighborhood, I took the bus to Hebrew school, and I rode to Little League practice in the way back of my coach's wood-paneled station wagon. And if we did well, we got to have a Slurpee after.
In my neighborhood, everyone left their garage door open. Wherever you ended up at dinner time, that's the family that fed you. Everyone took care of everyone else, and the guys I grew up with are still my best friends. The group chat is active every day, and it's probably blowing up right now, guys. When my dad had to get a new job, we moved across the country to LA. Money was tight. Hey, California.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Money was tight. So, I worked at McDonald's in high school for some extra cash. Not only was I employee of the month, but I still have the framed picture, which you just saw, and there was a ring, golden arches and all.
[22:30:00]
And then I waited tables, the parked cars. I was working full time so I could afford to go to college part time. And thanks to -- thanks to partial scholarships, student loans and a little help from my dad, I got myself through law school and I got my first job as a lawyer.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE) D. EMHOFF: Which is also where I met the guys in my Fantasy Football League. And a lot has changed in our lives since the early '90s, but my team name is still Nirvana.
(CHEERING)
D. EMHOFF: Yes, after the band. I worked hard and I love being a lawyer. And by the way, I still get to be part of the profession by teaching students at Georgetown Law School.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: I got married, became a dad to Cole and Ella. Unfortunately, I went through a divorce, but eventually started worrying about how I would make it all work. And that's when something unexpected happened.
In 2013, I walked into a contentious client meeting. We worked through the issue, and by the end of the meeting the now happy client offered to set me up on a blind date.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: Which is how I ended up with Kamala Harris's phone number.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Now, for generations, people have debated when to call the person you're being set up with. And never in history has anyone suggested 8:30 a.m.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: And yet, that's when I dialed. I got Kamala's voicemail and I just started rambling. Hey, it's Doug.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: I'm on my way to an early meeting. Again, it's Doug. I remember I was trying to grab the words out of the air and just put them back in my mouth. And for what seemed like far too many minutes, I hang up. By the way, Kamala saved that voicemail and she makes me listen to it on every anniversary.
(CHEERS)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: But that message was not the only unusual thing about that day. Now, Kamala, who normally would have been working hard at her office, just happened to be waiting at her apartment for a contractor to do some work on her kitchen. I was eating at my desk, which was not a regular occurrence for a busy lawyer like me who appreciated a good business lunch. But that's when she called me back. And we talked for an hour and we laughed.
Well, you know that laugh. I love that laugh.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: And maybe that counted as our first date. Or maybe it was that Saturday night when I picked her up and told her, buckle up, I'm a really bad driver.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: Because you can't hide anything from Kamala Harris so you might as well own it. And as I got to know her better, and just fell in love fast, I learned what drives Kamala. And it's what you have seen over these past four years and especially these past four weeks.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: She finds joy in pursuing justice. She stands up to bullies just like my parents taught me to. And she likes to see people do well, but hates when they're treated unfairly. She believes this work requires a basic curiosity in just how people are doing. Her empathy is her strength.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Over the past decade, Kamala has connected me more deeply to my faith. Even though it's not the same as hers. She comes to synagogue with me for High Holiday services and I go to church with her for Easter. I get to enjoy her mom's chili relleno recipe every Christmas and she makes a mean brisket for Passover. It brings me right back to my grandmother's apartment in Brooklyn, you know, the one with the plastic-covered couches.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: But Kamala has fought against antisemitism and all forms of hate her whole career.
(APPLAUSE)
[22:35:00]
D. EMHOFF: She is the one who encouraged me as second gentleman to take up the fight which is so personal to me. And those of you who belong to blended families know that they can be a little complicated. But as soon as our kids started calling her Momala, I knew we'd be okay.
Ella calls us a three-headed parenting machine.
Kamala and Kerstin, thank you both. Thank you both.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: For always putting your family and the kids first. Now, Cole and Ella's friends knew that when they'd come over for Sunday dinner with Momala, it was going to be real talk. In between taking cooking instructions, they'd have to answer questions about what problem they wanted to solve in the world. They learned that you've always got to be prepared because Kamala is going to prosecute the case.
(LAUGHTER)
D. EMHOFF: And in the same breath that Cole and Greenley told us that they were engaged, they asked Kamala to officiate their wedding. And in the same way that she always steps up when it matters, Kamala put so much time into those remarks, and she bound them in a book that matched her dark red dress and then turned that into a gift for the happy couple.
A few days ago, during this incredible time we're going through, there was a brief window when Kamala was back at home, and I saw her sitting on her favorite chair, and in the middle of a wild month, I just hoped that she was having a quiet moment to herself. But then I realized she was on the phone.
And of course, my mind went to all the potential crises that the Vice President could be dealing with. Was it domestic? Was it foreign? Was it campaign? I could see she was focused, and all I knew was that it must be something important. And it turns out it was. Ella had called her. That's Kamala. That's Kamala.
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Those kids are her priorities. And that scene was a perfect map of her heart. She's always been there for our children, and I know she'll always be there for yours, too.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: Kamala is a joyful warrior. It's doing for her country what she has always done for the people that she loves. Her passion will benefit all of us when she's our president.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: And here's the thing about joyful warriors. They are still warriors, and Kamala is as tough as it comes. Just ask the criminals, the global gangsters, and the witnesses before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: She never runs from a fight. And she knows the best way to deal with a coward is to take him head on. Because we all know cowards are weak. And Kamala Harris can smell weakness. She doesn't tolerate any BS. You've all seen that look, and you know that look I'm talking about.
That look is not just a meme. It reflects her true belief in honest and direct leadership, and it's also why she will not be distracted by nonsense. Kamala knows that in order to win, we cannot lose focus. America, in this election, you have to decide who to trust with your family's future. I trusted Kamala with our family's future. It was the best decision I ever made.
This Thursday will be our 10th wedding anniversary.
(CHEERING)
D. EMHOFF: Which I know, I know it means I'm about to hear that embarrassing voicemail again. However, that's not all I'll be hearing. That same night, I'll be hearing my wife, Kamala Harris, accept your nomination for President of the United States.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
D. EMHOFF: And with your help, she will lead with joy and toughness, with that laugh and that look, with compassion and conviction. She'll lead from the belief that wherever we come from, whatever we look like, we're strongest when we fight for what we believe in, not just against what we fear. Kamala Harris was exactly the right person for me at an important moment in my life, and at this moment in our nation's history, she is exactly the right president. Thank you so much.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC PLAYS)
(MUSIC)
[22:40:00]
ANNOUNCER: Please welcome former First Lady Michelle Obama.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, guys.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: OK. We got a big night ahead. Thank you all so much. Thank you so much.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: OK. Hey, hello, Chicago.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Yes. All right, something I -- I -- something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn't it? There.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Yes.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: You know, we're feeling it here in this arena, but it's spreading all across this country we love, a familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I'm talking about.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: It's the contagious power of hope.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: The anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day, the chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation, the dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for. America, hope is making a comeback.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Yes.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE) M. OBAMA: But to be honest, I am realizing that until recently, I have mourned the dimming of that hope. And maybe you've experienced the same feelings, that deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future. And for me, that mourning has also been mixed with my own personal grief.
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. Folks --
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: -- I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn't even sure if I'd be steady enough to stand before you tonight, but my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense I -- of duty that I feel to honor her memory. And -- and to remind us all --
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: -- not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: You see, my mom, in her steady, quiet way lived out that striving sense of hope every single day of her life
[22:45:06]
M. OBAMA: She believed that all children, all -- all people have value, that anyone can succeed if given the opportunity. She and my father didn't aspire to be wealthy.
In fact, they were suspicious of folks who took more than they needed. They understood that it wasn't enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning. So, my mother volunteered at the local school. She -- she always looked out for the other kids on the block.
She was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations has strengthened the fabric of this nation. The belief that if you do unto others, if you love thy neighbor, if you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off. If not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: You see, those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns, through tree-lined streets and crowded tenements, through prayer groups and National Guard units and social studies classrooms. Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath.
Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values. Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: That's why her mother moved here from India at 19. It's why she taught Kamala about justice, about the obligation to lift others up, about our responsibility to give more than we take. She would often tell her daughter, don't sit around and complain about things, do something.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: So with that voice in her head, Kamala went out and she worked hard in school, graduating from an HCBU.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Earning her law degree at a state school. And then she went on to work for the people, fighting to hold law-breakers accountable, strengthening the rule of law, fighting to get folks better wages, cheaper prescription drugs, a good education, decent health care, child care, elder care. From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become Vice President of the United States of America.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: My girl, Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment. She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: And she is one of the most dignified. A tribute to her mother, to my mother, and to your mother, too.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country. Her story is your story, it's my story. It's the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life. Look, Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what's in your bank account, we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued. Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American. No one.
(APPLAUSE) M. OBAMA: Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service, and always pushing the doors of opportunity open to others. She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.
(APPLAUSE)
[22:50:00]
M. OBAMA: If we bankrupt a business, if we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don't get a second, third, or fourth chance.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: If things don't go our way, we don't have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead. No.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: We don't get to change the rules so we always win. If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top. No.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: We put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something.
(CHEERING)
M. OBAMA: And throughout her entire life, that's what we've seen from Kamala Harris, the steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: It couldn't be more obvious. Of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Now, unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth. My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this.
(CHEERING) M. OBAMA: 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 hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happen to be black.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Wait.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: I want to know. I want to know. Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those black jobs?
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Look, it's his same old con. His same old con. Doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people's lives better. Look, because cutting our healthcare, taking away our freedom to control our bodies, the freedom to become a mother through IVF like I did, those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.
Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books, none of that will prepare our kids for the future. Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love. Look, that doesn't make anybody's life better.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Instead, instead, it only makes us small. And let me tell you this, going small is never the answer. Going small is the opposite of what we teach our kids. Going small is petty. It's unhealthy. And quite frankly, it's unpresidential.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: So, why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize that type of backward leadership?
(CHEERING)
M. OBAMA: Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics. It only serves to further discourage good, big-hearted people from wanting to get involved at all. America, our parents taught us better than that, and we deserve so much better than that.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
[22:55:00]
M. OBAMA: That's why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big hearted people. There is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. No other choice.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt. Let us not forget what we are up against. Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great now. We're loving it. They're packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized. We are feeling good.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: But remember, there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome, who are ready to question and criticize every move Kamala makes, who are eager to spread those lies, who don't want to vote for a woman, who will continue to prioritize building their wealth over ensuring that everyone has enough. So, no matter how good we feel tonight, or tomorrow, or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle.
So folks, we cannot be our own worst enemies. No.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: See, because the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, folks, we cannot start wringing our hands. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: And we cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Kamala and Tim, they have lived amazing lives. And I am confident that they will lead with compassion, inclusion, and grace. But they are still only human. They are not perfect. And like all of us, they will make mistakes. But luckily, y'all, this is not just on them. No, uh-uh. This is up to us, all of us, to be the solution that we seek. It's up to all of us to be the anecdote to the darkness and division. (APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: Look, I don't care how you identify politically, whether you're Democrat, Republican, Independent, or none of the above, this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: To stand up not just for our basic freedoms, but for decency and humanity, for basic respect, dignity, and empathy, for the values at the very foundation of this democracy.
It's up to us to remember what Kamala's mother told her, don't just sit around and complain, do something. So if they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something. If we see a bad poll, and we will, we've got to put down that phone and do something.
If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we've got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our face, and what?
CROWD: Do something.
M. OBAMA: We only have two and a half months, y'all, to get this done. Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: So, we cannot afford for anyone, anyone, anyone, America to sit on their hands and wait to be called. Don't complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to you to ask you for your support. There is simply no time for that kind of foolishness.
(APPLAUSE)
M. OBAMA: You know what you need to do. So consider this to be your official ask. Michelle Obama is asking you, no, I'm telling y'all, to do something.
(APPLAUSE)
(CROWD chanting "Do something.")
