Michelle Obama's passionate plea to America

Former first lady Michelle Obama. Source: Pool

Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a poignant political speech, taking a swipe at Trump's presidency and urging those who did not come out to vote in 2016 to make their vote count this upcoming election.

Obama said the country has been "living with the consequences" since the 2016 election results.

"Maybe they were fed up. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn’t be close. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. Whatever the reason, in the end, those choices sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes," Obama continued.

"In one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct—two votes. And we’ve all been living with the consequences," Obama said.

Former First Lady Michel Source: Pool

Michelle Obama lambasted Donald Trump as the “wrong” president for the United States in her speech to the Democratic National Convention on Monday.

In the straight-to-camera, pre-taped remarks, the former first lady said the White House is failing to provide “steadiness” and instead is only delivering “chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy.”

Obama, the final speaker of the first night of the convention, laid out a litany of criticism of Trump’s first four years of office, slamming the support the President receives from white supremacists, his immigration policies and how he has handled recent protest about racial injustice.

“As I’ve said before, being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are. Well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too,” Obama said. “And four years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes didn’t matter. Maybe they were fed up. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn’t be close. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. Whatever the reason, in the end, those choices sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes.”

Event organizers hope that the former first lady would provide a soaring end to the first night of the convention, much like she did for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

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Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones. Source: Pool

Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones talked about overcoming deep divisions within the country, and argued that Joe Biden was the right presidential candidate to unite America. 

“Growing up in the South meant growing up in the midst of stark divisions,” Jones said. “But it was here in Alabama where Rosa Parks helped ignite a movement by refusing to give up her seat on the bus. Where Freedom Riders of different races came together in pursuit of equality. And it was here in Alabama where John Lewis marched across a bridge towards freedom.”

“From a young age, I knew the hope that comes from seeing good people work to heal our divisions. It’s what led me to become the United States attorney, where I convicted two Klansmen who murdered four young Black girls in a 1963 Birmingham church bombing and delivered long overdue justice,” Jones said. He stood in front of an exhibit dedicated to the girls’ memory as he gave his remarks. 

“Now, some politicians try to pit us against each other. But I believe Americas have more in common than what divides us. And in November we have a chance to let a president who believes that too,” Jones said. 

Jones said he has known Biden for 40 years and met the former vice president when he was a law student. 

He said, “The Joe I know is exactly the leader our country needs right now. He can bring people together to find common ground while standing up for what he believes is right. After years of bitter partisanship, he can unite the country and get things done for working families and everyone looking for a better future.” 

Nevada Sen. Catherine Marie Cortez Masto Source: Pool

Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto lambasted President Donald Trump's efforts to undermine by-mail voting -- accusing Trump of hypocrisy over how he casts his own ballot in Florida.

"Even Donald Trump has requested an absentee ballot twice this year," she said.

Trump has targeted Nevada over the state's efforts to mail ballots to registered voters this year, as states adjust their election procedures amid the pandemic. Democrats in Congress have sought to increase funding for the US Postal Service, which has warned states it might not be able to process mail-in ballots in time in November.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Source: Pool

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and a trio of other former top Republicans made the case for members of their party breaking with Donald Trump and backing Joe Biden on Monday, arguing that the President has been a “disappointing” and “disturbing” failure.

Kasich headlined the section of the Democratic convention focused on convincing Republicans turned off by Trump to vote -- even reluctantly -- for a candidate that they may not wholeheartedly support.

Kasich said he was “proud” of his Republican heritage, but that Trump’s first term “belies those principles.”

“I’m sure there are Republicans and Independents who couldn’t imagine crossing over to support a Democrat,” Kasich said. “They fear Joe may turn sharp left and leave them behind. I don’t believe that because I know the measure of the man. It’s reasonable, faithful, respectful, and, you know, no one pushes Joe around."

Three Republican women -- Meg Whitman, who ran for governor of California as a Republican in 2010 but backed Hillary Clinton in 2016; Susan Molinari, a former Republican congresswoman from New York; and Christine Todd Whitman, former Republican governor of New Jersey and EPA chief under George W. Bush -- joined Kasich in backing Biden.

“For me, the choice is simple. I’m with Joe,” said Meg Whitman.

Molinari said she had “known Donald Trump for most of my political career. So disappointing, and lately so disturbing.”

And Christine Todd Whitman encapsulated the segment with an honest question.

“What am I doing here,” she asked, adding later, “This isn’t about a Republican or Democrat. This is about a person.”

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Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Source: Pool

In a speech from a United Auto Workers union hall, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer touted Joe Biden's role in the passage of the automotive industry bailout in 2009, as former President Barack Obama's administration navigated the Great Recession.

Obama and Biden, Whitmer said, "didn't waste time blaming anyone else or shirking their responsibility. They got to work" — a line intended to contrast Biden with the health and economic crises facing President Donald Trump now.

The swing-state governor and co-chair of Biden's campaign sought to connect those early Obama actions to the response to the coronavirus pandemic. She said factories saved by the auto bailout are now manufacturing protective equipment.

Kristin Urquiza poses with a photo of her father who died of Covid-19. Democratic National Committee

Kristin Urquiza gained national attention last month after she wrote an obituary decrying politicians for a "lack of leadership" following her father's death as a result of Covid-19.  

Tonight, she shared the story of her father, Mark Urquiza, during a speech delivered before the Democratic National Convention. She also sent a poignant message to President Donald Trump.

"He had faith in Donald Trump. He voted for him, listened to him, believed him and his mouthpieces when they said that coronavirus was under control and going to disappear; that it was okay to end social distancing rules before it was safe; and that if you had no underlying health conditions, you’d probably be fine," she said.

Urquiza explained that in late May, after the stay-at-home order was lifted in Arizona, her father went to a karaoke bar with his friends, and a few weeks later, was put on a ventilator. And after "five agonizing days," Urquiza said her father died alone in the ICU with "a nurse holding his hand."

"My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life," she continued.

Urquiza slammed President Trump's coronavirus response.

"We need a leader who has a national, coordinated, data-driven response to stop this pandemic from claiming more lives and to safely reopen the country. We need a leader who will step in on Day One and do his job, to care," she continued.

"One of the last things that my father said to me was that he felt betrayed by the likes of Donald Trump. And so, when I cast my vote for Joe Biden, I will do it for my dad," Urquiza said.

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Muriel Bowser, Mayor of District of Columbia. Source: Pool

Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser took aim at President Donald Trump on Monday, saying Trump was “plotting” while many Americans were protesting systemic racism and police brutality in America after the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Speaking in front of the massive yellow letters that spell out “Black Lives Matter” in Washington, DC, Bowser lambasted Trump for forcibly removing peaceful protesters in front of the White House so he could pose for a photo op in front of a church with a Bible in his hand. 

“While we were protesting, Donald Trump was plotting. He stood in front of one of our most treasured houses of worship and held a Bible for a photo op. He sent troops in camouflage into our streets, he sent tear gas into the air and federal helicopters too,” the mayor said. 

Bowser said she wanted her 2-year-old daughter to grow up in an America “where she's not scared to walk to the store. An America where she's safe behind the doors of her own home. An America where the President doesn't fan the flames of racism and looks out for all of us.”

“So I created Black Lives Matter Plaza, right behind me, as a place where we could come together to say enough,” Bowser said. 

“And by coming together this November to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, we will say next. Because we can't just paint those words, we can't just say those words, we have to live those words, we have to undo the laws and systems that have codified racism for far too long. But we have to do something too. Each and every one of us, challenge our own biases. If we see something, do something. Together we can turn this reckoning into a reimagining of a nation where we the people means all the people," Bowser said.

Bowser introduced members of George Floyd’s family as the next speakers at the convention. 

Gwen Carr, mother of the late Eric Garner. Source: Pool

Gwen Carr, mother of the late Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by a New York police officer in 2014, is calling on former Vice President Joe Biden to continue the fight against police brutality if he wins the presidency.

"When my son was murdered, there was a big uprising, but then it settled down," Carr said at a roundtable on criminal justice reform. "We can't let things settle down. We have to go to the politicians. We have to hold their feet to the fire. Otherwise, the big uprising is not going to mean a lot."

The roundtable, hosted by Biden, was held via video conference with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, NAACP CEO and President Derrick Johnson, Houston police chief Art Acevedo and activist Jamira Burley.