Barack Obama Delivers Scathing Speech Addressing Donald Trump's Failures

During his lengthy speech, former President Barack Obama addressed the COVID-19 pandemic and also endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket.

Wednesday night former President Barack Obama took the stage at the virtual Democratic National Convention and gave a scathing speech. Throughout his late-night slot on primetime television, Obama addressed the failures of Donald Trump. He also formally spoke on Joe Biden and expressed why the Biden-Harris ticket was the best option for Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic was also discussed. 

“[Trump has] shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends,” Obama said. He also pointed to the deaths of countless Americans as proof of Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. “Donald Trump hasn’t grown into the job because he can’t. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.”

As the speech continued, Obama made it clear he was in the business of upholding the legacy of democracy the country upheld for the past 243 years. He then shared that the nation was experiencing polarizing times, he added that even though a majority of voters were already decided, the votes of those who are undecided also matter. It was here that he touched on Biden’s qualifications and ability to serve the American people. 

On Biden he shared:

“Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn’t know I’d end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe's a man who learned early on to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him. 'No one’s better than you, but you’re better than nobody.'”

He also explicitly addressed the Biden-Harris ticket: “Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala's ability to lead this country out of dark times and build it back better. But here’s the thing: No single American can fix this country alone,” Obama said. “Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote; I make everything better. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure. Because that’s what at stake right now. Our democracy.”

Obama invoked a tremendous ball of energy yesterday evening during his speech at the virtual Democratic Convention, it gave the party a needed push in the right direction. One notable quote defined the entirety of the former President’s speech: “Do not let them take away your power. Don't let them take away your democracy… What we do echoes through the generations.”

Throughout Obama's speech, Donald Trump and social media users took to Twitter to share their thoughts."My president" trended late yesterday evening on the platform. Take a look at a few tweets below.

Watch Barack Obama's entire speech below.