Chicago: She made a rare appearance, but it was enough to mobilize the Democratic base, produce quick-witted remarks that will go down in American mythology, and create a frenzy that brought the United Center arena in her hometown of Chicago to life like never before.

Tuesday was truly Michelle Obama’s night at the Democratic National Convention. She slammed Donald Trump, accusing him of racism and misogyny in a way that Democrats have not dared to do before. She warned her own party against becoming complacent and urged everyone to “do something” to elect Kamala Harris – “one of the most qualified and worthy” candidates for the office – as the next American president.

The story of hope

In her speech to her husband Barack, Michelle Obama alluded to the 2008 campaign, which was based on hope and change. “There’s something, something wonderfully magical in the air, isn’t there? A familiar feeling that’s been buried too deep for far too long. You know what I’m talking about. It’s the contagious power of hope, the anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the threshold of a better day.”

The former first lady put that hope in the context of what they had been fighting against, saying she had mourned the loss of hope with a “deep feeling in my stomach and a palpable sense of fear for the future.” She also spoke of her personal grief over the recent loss of her mother and the values ​​her mother had modeled and taught them – that all people are valuable, that anyone with a chance can succeed, and that doing good pays off.

Michelle linked this to the new Democratic presidential candidate’s story, saying, “Kamala Harris and I built our lives on the same core values. Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country. That’s why her mother moved here from India when she was 19. That’s why she taught Kamala justice, the obligation to support others, and our responsibility to give more than we take.”

Obama briefly addressed Harris’s development, saying that “my girl, Kamala Harris” is “more than ready for this moment.” “She is one of the most qualified people to ever seek the office of president. And she is one of the most dignified… Kamala knows, as we do, that we all deserve the chance to build a decent life, regardless of where we come from, what we look like, who we love, what we worship, or what’s in our bank account.”

Targets Donald Trump

And that’s when Obama began to attack Donald Trump, first indirectly and then directly.

In a clear nod to Harris’s racial and economic background, a rebuff to those who called Harris a “DEI candidate,” and a contrast to Trump, Obama said, “She understands that most of us will never be given the grace to fail forward. We will never benefit from the positive discrimination of generational wealth. If we bankrupt the company or drown in a crisis, we won’t get a second, third, or fourth chance. If things don’t go the way we want, we don’t have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get ahead. No. We can’t change the rules, so we always win. When we see a mountain ahead of us, we don’t expect an escalator waiting to take us to the top. No.” The Democratic delegates in the chamber quickly got the message, responding with a standing ovation and loud cheers. African Americans and women have long felt this, believing that they must work twice as hard to get half the returns and that there is little room for failure to get ahead.

Michelle then went on to issue a warning about what will happen next, recounting for the first time her own experience of being attacked by Trump, who long insisted that Barack Obama was not born in America – a conspiracy theory that forced him to show his birth certificate.

“We know what’s coming next. We know that people will do anything to twist their truth. My husband and I, unfortunately, know a little bit about that. For years, Donald Trump has done everything in his power to make people afraid of us. You see, his narrow, limited view of the world has led him to feel threatened by the existence of two hard-working, highly educated, successful people who happen to be black,” Michelle said, addressing the racism that many have felt but that was not as evident in the attacks against her husband.

As the crowd roared in agreement, Michelle persisted, grimacing and saying, “Wait, I want to know: Who’s going to tell him that maybe the job he’s looking for right now is one of those ‘black jobs’?” In recent weeks, Trump has spoken of how immigrants have taken away “black jobs,” a description that has shocked people because of its racist connotations. Delegates in the room erupted in laughter at Trump’s turning the tables by appropriating the presidency as a black job, while Michelle continued, “It’s still his old con: He’s relying on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that would actually improve people’s lives.”

Michelle then attacked Trump for his policies, actions and proposals. She said that restricting access to health care and taking away women’s freedom to control their bodies and become mothers through IVF “like I did” will not improve women’s health. Shutting down the Department of Education and banning books will not improve children’s futures. Demonizing children for who they are and who they love will not improve lives.

“It just makes us small. And let me tell you: Going small is never the answer. Going small is the opposite of what we teach our children. Going small is petty, it’s unhealthy and, quite frankly, it’s unpresidential,” Michelle said, recalling her 2016 line when she said that when the other side goes down, it’s time to go up.

Michelle then returned to the decision at hand, telling delegates and millions of Americans watching on television screens, “Why should any of us accept this from someone seeking our highest office? Why should we normalize this kind of backwards leadership? There is no choice other than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. No other choice.”

But just as her husband would do minutes later, Michelle Obama warned against complacency, telling Democrats that many would have wanted a different outcome and that they must stay the course and act.

“We can’t be our own worst enemies. No. Look, because as soon as something goes wrong, as soon as a lie takes hold, folks, we can’t start wringing our hands. We can’t develop a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is right. And we can’t give in to our fears about whether this country is going to elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected,” Michelle said, which seemed to be a reference to 2016, when Hillary Clinton’s mistakes or the perception that America wasn’t ready for a female president hampered the Democratic campaign.

And then Michelle gave the delegates a mantra they immediately adopted. “If they lie about her — and they will — we have to do something. If we see a bad poll — and we will — we have to put the phone down and do something… consider this your official request: Michelle Obama is asking you — no, I’m telling you all — to do something.”

More than 20,000 delegates in the arena took up the challenge, chanting “Do something” as Michelle Obama concluded her stirring speech and introduced the man who, she said, knew something about hope: “America’s 44th President and the love of my life, Barack Obama.”