‘Racism, fear, division’: Michelle Obama slams Donald Trump in pre-election plea

Former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, has made public her criticism of President Donald Trump, telling Americans to vote for Joe Biden “as if their lives depended on it.

After a notable period in US politics in which the sitting president was hospitalized for a disease that he has repeatedly downplayed, Obama slammed the 74-year-old Trump for “falling short” in leading the United States.

“In the greatest crisis of our lives, he redoubled the division and resentment, he criticized measures that could have mitigated the damage,” he said.

“Seven months later, he still doesn’t have a plan for this virus. Seven months later, he still doesn’t wear a mask consistently and encourages others to do the same,” he said. “Instead, he continues to criticize the American people by acting as if this pandemic is not a real threat.”

Obama said the president’s tenure had been accompanied by “a constant beating of fear, division and chaos that threatens to spiral out of control” and highlighted his track record in race relations, saying the president and his political allies had been “fueling the fears about black and brown Americans “to” distract themselves from their amazing failures by giving people someone to blame besides themselves. “

Acknowledging that divisive rhetoric has found support among some Americans, Obama said Trump’s stance was “morally wrong, and yes, it is racist. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work.”

He drew on his own experiences of racism in the US and his own family history and asked his fellow Americans to put themselves in the shoes of minorities.

“I want everyone who is still undecided to think of all those people like me and my ancestors,” he said.

“The millions of people who look like me who fought, died and worked as slaves, soldiers and workers to help build this country. Racism, fear, division, are powerful weapons. And they can destroy this nation if not we deal with them head on, “he continued.

“As a black woman who, like the overwhelming majority of people of color in this nation, has done everything in my power to live a life of dignity, service and honesty, the knowledge that any of my fellow Americans are more afraid that the chaos we’re living in right now, well that hurts.

“Imagine what it feels like to wake up every day and do your best to uphold the values ​​this country claims to hold in mind – truth, honor, decency – only to have those efforts met with contempt, not just of his fellow citizens, but by an acting president. “

“Imagine what it feels like to have a suspicion about you from the day you were born, simply by the tone of your skin. Walking through your own country in fear that someone’s unwarranted fear of you could put you in danger.”

Obama said the damage could be due to: “A racial slur from a passing car … a routine traffic stop ‘went wrong’ … maybe a knee to the neck.”

He reflected on his time in the White House and spoke of how much presidents are driven by their character and values.

“After watching the presidency closely for eight years, perhaps the most important thing I learned about the job is that the way a president concentrates his time and energy in office is a direct reflection of the life he has lived before entering. to the White House, “he said.

“A president’s policies are a direct reflection of his values, and we are seeing that truth on display with our current president, who has dedicated his life to enriching himself.”

He warned of dire consequences if Trump is not removed from office in the election and made a passionate plea for Americans to vote for him: “If you think things can’t get worse, believe me, they can – and they will if we don’t make a change. in this election. Examine your heart and conscience, and then vote for Joe Biden as if your lives depended on it. “