‘Democracy is much bigger than anyone’s ego’: Michelle Obama calls for a smooth transition of power


Michelle Obama, the former first lady of the United States, reflected on President Donald Trump’s shocking election victory in 2016 while speaking about his departure from the White House in a social media post Tuesday. Urging the Trump administration to ensure a smooth transition of power after a close victory by Democrat Joe Biden, Obama called on leaders to honor the electoral process, “just as incumbent presidents have done throughout the history”.

“I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honor the electoral process and do their part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as incumbent presidents have done throughout the past. throughout our history, ”he said on Instagram. Send. “I was hurt and disappointed, but the votes had been counted and Donald Trump had won,” she wrote, referring to Trump’s victory in the last presidential election. “The American people had spoken. And one of the great responsibilities of the presidency is to listen when they do it, “he added.

Recalling the transition process, she wrote: “My husband and I instructed our staff to do what George and Laura Bush had done for us: carry out a smooth and respectful transition of power, one of the hallmarks of democracy. American”. “We invited people from the president-elect team to our offices and prepared detailed memos for them, offering what we had learned over the past eight years,” he added.

Michelle Obama also said the process was not easy for her as Trump had spread “racist lies” about her husband and former President Barack Obama and his family, which she said was “not something she was willing to forgive.”

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“I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me. Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger. That was not something he was willing to forgive. But I knew that, for the good of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside, “added the former first lady.

Furthermore, he wrote: “I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do, because our democracy is so much bigger than anyone’s ego. Our love for the country requires that we respect the results of an election even when we do not like them or wish it had been different. “” The presidency does not belong to any individual or to any party, “he also said.

Michelle Obama’s criticism comes as Trump has refused to admit defeat in the recent US presidential election. Trump, who alleges fraud in the counting of votes, has threatened to challenge the electoral result in the Supreme Court.

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Biden defeated Trump by winning a series of battleground states that the Republican president had won in 2016. The former Democratic vice president also won the national popular vote by more than 5.5 million votes or 3.6 percentage points. On Monday, Trump once again refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory when he tweeted: “I WON THE ELECTION!”

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