- Former President
Barack Obama delivered a forceful endorsement of his former vice president,Joe Biden , on Wednesday during the third night of theDemocratic National Convention . - He sharply contrasted Biden's leadership style and qualities with those of President
Donald Trump . - "I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously — that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care," Obama said. "But he never did."
- Obama was one of several high-profile Democratic speakers to address the convention, but this year's virtual conference also featured several prominent Republicans.
Former President Barack Obama delivered a forceful endorsement of his former vice president, Joe Biden, on Wednesday during the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
Obama delivered his remarks from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, choosing the location as a means of emphasizing the primary theme of his speech, that America's democracy was in danger.
Americans should expect the president to be a "custodian" of democracy, Obama said.
"At a minimum, we should expect a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us, regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have, or who we voted for. But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy," Obama said.
"We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for, went to jail for, fought for, and died for."
The former president sharply contrasted Biden's leadership style and qualities with those of President Donald Trump. Obama skewered Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic, with the US having recorded nearly 5.5 million infections and more than 171,000 deaths — both the most of any country.
Though Obama has largely stayed out of the limelight since leaving the White House and generally avoided criticizing Trump directly, he did not hold back Wednesday night.
"I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously — that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. But he never did," Obama said. "For close to four years now, he has shown no interest in putting in the work, no interest in finding common ground, no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends."
—Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2020
The former president wrapped up his speech with a call to action, imploring Americans to vote and stay engaged in the democratic process.
"You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place," Obama said. "You're the missing ingredient — the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed."
He continued: "We have to get busy building it up — by pouring all our effort into these 76 days and by voting like never before — for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country that we love stands for."
Obama said the Trump administration had "shown it will tear our democracy down if that is what it takes for them to win."
—Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 20, 2020
Trump responded to Obama's speech with anger via Twitter.
"WHY DID HE REFUSE TO ENDORSE SLOW JOE UNTIL IT WAS ALL OVER, AND EVEN THEN WAS VERY LATE? WHY DID HE TRY TO GET HIM NOT TO RUN?" Trump tweeted.
Obama largely remained on the sidelines of the Democratic primary until it became clear that Biden would be the party's nominee. He formally endorsed his former running mate in April.
This year's Democratic convention featured several themes that sought to bridge the ideological and generational divides between different factions of the Democratic Party. Keynote speakers included Obama, the former first lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State John Kerry, former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates.
Several Republicans also spoke or appeared at the convention, including former Gov. John Kasich of Ohio, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Rep. Susan Molinari of New York, former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman. Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain, also lent her voice to a video tribute about the "unlikely friendship" between Biden and her husband.
Biden formally received the Democratic Party's presidential nomination on Tuesday night; he is scheduled to officially accept it with a speech Thursday night.