Former First Lady Michelle Obama attacked 71 million Americans who supported President Donald Trump, saying they supported “lies, hate, chaos and division.”
Obama took to Twitter to offer her congratulations to former Vice President Joe Biden — and his running mate, Democratic California Sen. Kamala Harris — after multiple media outlets projected him the winner of the 2020 presidential election. (RELATED: ‘Only A Tiny Fraction Of Demonstrations Have Had Any Violence At All,’ Michelle Obama Claims In Biden Campaign Video)
“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it,” Obama tweeted.
I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it. pic.twitter.com/yXqQ3tYRoa
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
She went on to thank those who had helped register new voters and the voters themselves for coming out in force to support Biden, noting that more votes had been cast in 2020 than in any prior election.
Thank you to all of you who poured every ounce of your hope and determination into this democracy over these past four years, registering voters, getting them to the polls, keeping folks informed. More votes were cast in this election than ever before. It’s because of you.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
But she cautioned them to remember that the real work came when the election was over. “Voting in one election isn’t a magic wand, and neither is winning one,” she said.
And after we celebrate — and we should all take a moment to exhale after everything we’ve been through — let’s remember that this is just a beginning. It’s a first step. Voting in one election isn’t a magic wand, and neither is winning one.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
Obama then pivoted to attack Trump voters, adding, “Let’s remember that tens of millions of people voted for the status quo, even when it meant supporting lies, hate, chaos, and division. We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach out to these folks in the years ahead and connect with them on what unites us.”
Let’s remember that tens of millions of people voted for the status quo, even when it meant supporting lies, hate, chaos, and division. We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach out to these folks in the years ahead and connect with them on what unites us.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
She pushed voters to remember that every election would bring a new challenge, going on to mention the upcoming runoff elections for both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate seats — which could potentially change the balance of the Senate in Biden’s favor.
But we’ve also got to recognize that the path to progress will always be uphill. We’ll always have to scrape and crawl up toward that mountaintop. And two years from now, four years from now, there will once again be no margin for error.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
We see now the reality that we can’t take even the tiniest part of our democracy for granted. Every single vote must count — and every single one of us must vote. And as a country, we should be making it easier, not harder to cast a ballot.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
So it’s up to us to stay engaged and informed, to keep speaking out and marching on. We’ve got to vote in even greater numbers in the upcoming Senate runoffs in Georgia—and every state and local election going forward.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
Obama concluded by saying that the record turnout and voter engagement should be the new status quo, saying, “We’ve got to promise each other that our focus in this election won’t be an anomaly, but the rule. That’s how we can not only feel this way right now, but in the months and years ahead. It’s the only way we’ll build a nation worthy of our children.”
We’ve got to promise each other that our focus in this election won’t be an anomaly, but the rule. That’s how we can not only feel this way right now, but in the months and years ahead. It’s the only way we’ll build a nation worthy of our children.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020
My warmest congratulations again to Joe and Jill, Kamala and Doug—and each of you who stepped up when your country needed you.
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) November 7, 2020