WASHINGTON — Four years removed from the White House and two weeks after the 2020 general election, former first lady Michelle Obama penned a message to Americans.
In a post to social media, Obama talks about the pain and disappointment of seeing friend and former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton lose the 2016 election to Donald Trump.
Although she was personally disappointed, voters had spoken about who they wanted in the White House for the next four years.
“I was hurt and disappointed — but the votes had been counted and Donald Trump had won," Obama wrote. "The American people had spoken. And one of the great responsibilities of the presidency is to listen when they do.”
The former first lady goes on to say that President Obama and she instructed their staff to do what George and Laura Bush had done for them, which was to execute a "respectful, seamless transition of power."
According to media reports, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris are being excluded from critical meetings and financial support to set up transition teams — one of the most crucial being COVID-19 as cases continue to surge across the country.
So far, President Trump and his campaign have continued to make claims of voter fraud, all of which have been disputed as court cases in battleground states have been dismissed.
Obama said that as difficult as it was to participate in the transition because of things Trump had said about her husband, she knew she had to be the bigger person.
“I have to be honest and say that none of this was easy for me. Donald Trump had spread racist lies about my husband that had put my family in danger," Obama said. "That wasn’t something I was ready to forgive. But I knew that, for the sake of our country, I had to find the strength and maturity to put my anger aside."
Trump and his campaign team continue to contest the election and file lawsuits. On Wednesday, they announced plans to spend $3 million for a recount in Wisconsin.
In her final words, Obama makes a plea to all Americans and political parties.
“I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honor the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history.”
The post speaks to a saying Michelle Obama made famous during one of her speeches while campaigning for Hilary Clinton, which is “when they go low, we go high.”
See the full post here.
