--- title: Barack Obama’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights description: Barack Obama, back in Chicago as a Democratic elder statesman, encouraged voters to support Kamala Harris to carry the baton next. canonical: https://time.com/7013274/barack-obama-dnc-speech-2024/ author: Eric Cortellessa article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2024-08-21T05:45:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-19T07:46:03.790Z article:section: Politics og:title: Barack Obama’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights og:description: Barack Obama, back in Chicago as a Democratic elder statesman, encouraged voters to support Kamala Harris to carry the baton next. og:url: https://time.com/7013274/barack-obama-dnc-speech-2024/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07005b326528d767/698a5a1dd0753312c4e71212/barack-obama-2024-dnc-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Day Two Of The 2024 Democratic National Convention og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Barack Obama’s DNC Speech 2024 Highlights twitter:description: Barack Obama, back in Chicago as a Democratic elder statesman, encouraged voters to support Kamala Harris to carry the baton next. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt07005b326528d767/698a5a1dd0753312c4e71212/barack-obama-2024-dnc-speech.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # ‘Yes, _She_ Can’: A Breakdown of Barack Obama’s 2024 DNC Speech in Support of Kamala Harris > Sponsored content. 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Barack Obama has often described the presidency as a relay race: “You take the baton from someone, you run your leg as hard and as well as you can, and then you hand it off to someone else.” On Tuesday night, Obama stepped on stage in front of thousands of delegates at the 2024 Democratic National Convention to anoint a party leader he hopes will carry that baton next: Kamala Harris._  by [Eric Cortellessa / Chicago](https://time.com/author/eric-cortellessa/)  ## Eric Cortellessa / Chicago Senior Correspondent Aug 21, 2024 5:45 AM UTC Barack Obama has often described the presidency as a relay race: “You take the baton from someone, you run your leg as hard and as well as you can, and then you hand it off to someone else.” On Tuesday night, Obama stepped on stage in front of thousands of delegates at the 2024 Democratic National Convention to anoint a party leader he hopes will carry that baton next: Kamala Harris.  by [Eric Cortellessa / Chicago](https://time.com/author/eric-cortellessa/)  ## Eric Cortellessa / Chicago Senior Correspondent Aug 21, 2024 5:45 AM UTC Barack Obama has often [described](https://www.facebook.com/CSPAN/videos/barack-obama-ive-always-described-the-presidency-as-a-relay-race-you-take-the-ba/1668359566883766/) the presidency as a relay race: “You take the baton from someone, you run your leg as hard and as well as you can, and then you hand it off to someone else.” On Tuesday night, Obama stepped on stage in front of thousands of delegates at the 2024 Democratic National Convention to anoint a party leader he hopes will carry that baton next: [Kamala Harris](https://time.com/7009317/reintroduction-of-kamala-harris/). Returning to the city where he made his startling political ascent, Obama roused the Chicago crowd with the soaring rhetoric that catapulted him on the national stage 20 years ago. In a nearly 40-minute speech, Obama honored President Joe Biden; championed Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz; warned of the perils of a second [Donald Trump](https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/) presidency; and encouraged Democrats to prepare for an arduous path to maintaining the White House. For Obama, it was a moment that brought him full circle. He burst onto the scene as a political phenomenon when he delivered an electrifying keynote address at the 2004 convention. Now, at 63, Obama is the elder statesman hoping to galvanize the nation once again—encouraging voters to reject the man who has sought to destroy his political legacy and elevate a fresh Democratic heir: “This convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible.” Below is a breakdown of Obama’s 2024 DNC speech. ## Honoring Joe Biden At the outset of his remarks, Obama paid tribute to his second in command for eight years. “History will remember Joe Biden as an outstanding President who defended democracy at a moment of great danger,” said Obama, who was [reportedly among those who urged](https://apnews.com/article/biden-democrats-drop-out-election-2024-3f9e3d15431fd4974771a54e1d0e4ea7) Biden to end his campaign following his [disastrous June debate performance](https://time.com/6993760/joe-biden-debate-disaster-democratic-panic/). (The President has reportedly [begrudged](https://www.politico.com/news/2024/08/14/biden-frustration-obama-pelosi-00173883) Obama and other Democratic leaders for pushing him out of the race, though he denied it in [his DNC speech](https://time.com/7012563/joe-biden-dnc-speech-2024/) Monday night.) Obama, for his part, extolled Biden for making the decision that he estimates gives Democrats the best chance to defeat Donald Trump: “At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality, we needed a leader who was steady, and brought people together, and was selfless enough to do the rarest thing there is in politics: putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country.” ## Warning against Trump Throughout his speech, Obama issued stark warnings that a second Trump term would pose existential risks for sustenance of American democracy and society. “Donald Trump sees power as nothing more than a means to his ends,” he said, implying that his successor would embark on a radical, autocratic agenda. To that end, he warned that Trump deliberately wants to keep the U.S. polarized for his own political benefit. “Donald Trump wants us to think that this country is hopelessly divided: between us and them, between the real Americans who—of course—support him and the outsiders who don’t,” Obama said. Without ticking off the specifics of Trump’s plans, Obama suggested they would trigger a national crisis. “It is one of the oldest tricks in politics, from a guy whose act has—let’s face it—gotten pretty stale,” Obama said. “We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We’ve seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse.” ## Campaigning for Kamala The heart of Obama’s address was pitch for the Democratic presidential nominee. He extolled Harris’ record as a prosecutor and politician—serving as San Francisco district attorney, California’s attorney general, a U.S. senator, and Vice President—seeking to contrast her career in public service with Trump’s background as a real estate magnate, media personality, and political provocateur. “Kamala Harris won’t be focused on her problems,” Obama said. “She’ll be focused on yours.” At one point, he repurposed his signature campaign line for Harris, telling delegates: “Yes, _she_ can.” ## Tim Walz, too Obama also praised Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. “I love this guy,” he said, depicting Walz as a populist who connects to average Americans. “Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics: born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors. He knows who he is, and he knows what’s important. You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant; they come from his closet.” The party’s ticket, Obama suggested, represented the diversity of the Democratic coalition that swept him into high office twice. Together, he added, the two candidates can appeal to moderate Americans who yearn for a less divisive politics. “Kamala and Tim have kept faith with America’s central story,” he said, “a story that says, ‘We are all created equal’ … That everyone deserves a chance. That even when we don’t agree with each other, we can find a way to live with each other.” ## The road ahead While the convention hall was filled with the “hope-and-change” optimism that animated Obama’s political rise, he counseled Democrats to prepare for an ugly road ahead. “It won’t be easy,” he said. “The other side knows it’s easier to play on people’s fears and cynicism.” Yet he asked his party faithful to be patient with Americans who aren’t aligned with the Democratic agenda and who resist societal changes. “If a parent or grandparent occasionally says something that makes us cringe, we don’t automatically assume they’re bad people,” he said. “We recognize the world is moving fast, that they need time and maybe a little encouragement to catch up.” That’s an approach, Obama said, that could build a “true Democratic majority.” But more than seeking electoral gain, Obama emphasized that the stakes of the election—of whether America stops Trump from reclaiming the White House—would have reverberations across the globe. “The rest of the world is watching,” he said, “to see if we can actually pull this off.” ## Transcript Chicago. It's good to be home. It is good to be home, and I don't know about you, but I'm feeling fired up. A, I am feeling ready to go. I am feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible. Because we have a chance to elect someone who has spent her entire life trying to give people the same chances America gave her. Someone who sees you, and hears you. And will get up every single day and fight for you. The next president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris. At a time when the other party had turned into a cult of personality. We needed a leader who was steady and brought people together and was selfless enough. To do the rarest thing there is in politics, putting his own ambition aside for the sake of the country. History we'll remember Joe Biden as an outstanding president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger. And I am proud to call him my president, but I am even prouder to call him my friend. The torch has been passed. Now it is up to all of us to fight for the America we believe in. And make no mistake. It will be a fight. For all the incredible energy we've been able to generate over the last few weeks, for all the rallies and the mems. This will still be a tight race in a closely divided country. A country where too many Americans are still struggling, where a lot of Americans don't believe government can help. It has been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that's actually been getting worse now that he's afraid of losing the Com. There's the childish nicknames. The crazy conspiracy theories. This weird obsession with crowd sizes. We do not need four more years of bluster and bumbling and chaos. We have seen that movie before, and we all know that the sequel is usually worse. America's ready for a new chapter. America's ready for a better story. We are ready for a president Kamala Harris. Tim is the kind of person who should be in politics. Born in a small town, served his country, taught kids, coached football, took care of his neighbors. He knows who he is, and he knows what's important. You can tell those flannel shirts he wears. Don't come from some political consultant. They come from his closet, and they have been through some stuff. The other side knows. It's easier to play on people's fears and cynicism. Always has been. They will tell you that government is inherently corrupt, that sacrifice and generosity are for suckers. And since the game is rigged, it's okay to take what you want and just look after your own. That's the easy path. We have a different task. Our job is to convince people that democracy can actually deliver. And in doing that, we can't just point to what we've already accomplished. We can't just rely on the ideas of the past. We need to chart a new way forward to meet the challenges of today. And Kamala understands this. Our politics have become so polarized these days, that all of us, across the political spectrum, seem so quick to assume the worst in others. Unless they agree with us on every single issue, We start thinking that the only way to win is to scold and shame and out yell the other side. And after a while, regular folks just tune out, or they don't bother to vote. Now, that approach may work for the politicians who just want attention and thrive on division. But it won't work for us to make progress on the things we care about. The things that really affect people's lives. We need to remember that we've all got our blind spots and contradictions and prejudices, and that if we want to win over those who aren't yet ready to support our candidates, we need to listen to their concerns and maybe learn something in the process. We recognize that the world is moving fast, that they need time and maybe a little encouragement to catch up. Our fellow citizens deserve the same grace we hope they'll extend to us. That's how we can build a true Democratic majority. One that can get things done. We shouldn't be the world's policeman, and we can't eradicate every cruelty and injustice in the world. But America can be and must be a force for good. Discouraging conflict, fighting disease, promoting human rights, protecting the planet from climate change, defending freedom, brokering peace. That's what Kamala Harris believes, and so do most Americans. If we hold firm to our convections, We will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States. And Tim Holes as the next Vice President of the United States. We will elect leaders up and down the ballot, who will fight for the hopeful, forward looking America we all believe in. And together, we, two will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal, and more free. So let's get to work. God bless you. 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