It’s official: Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. So, what do Barack and Michelle Obama have to say about it? Oh, you know, just the usual class act that makes everyone else look like they’re trying too hard. In their statement, they’re sending a lot of love to Donald Trump and congratulating him on his victory.
Barack and Michelle, ever the diplomats, kicked things off with a little something for the heartbroken: “We know a lot of people are feeling some type of way right now,” they said (probably not in those exact words, but you get the vibe). They also made sure to drop some positive vibes for Kamala Harris’ supporters, because when things don’t go your way, it’s always nice to hear “Hey, don’t worry, we got your back.”
Their statement began, “Over the last few weeks and through Election Day, millions of Americans cast their votes—not just for president, but for leaders at every level.” Translation: No, seriously, people voted for more than just the guy with the weird hair. And then they said, “Now the results are in, and we want to congratulate President Trump and Senator Vance on their victory.” It’s all very gracious, and you can practically hear the political handshake from here.
But, of course, they couldn’t let it slide without a little, “Welp, this wasn’t exactly the outcome we were dreaming of, but we’re cool with it.” They continued with some deep wisdom, “Living in a democracy is about recognizing that our point of view won’t always win out.” In other words: “Sometimes you lose, sometimes you just have to swallow it and be a good sport.”
Next up was a segment we’re going to call: The Compliment Sandwich, because Barack and Michelle do it best. First, they acknowledged Kamala Harris and Governor Walz—huge props to the campaigners who worked so hard. Seriously, though, if there’s a team spirit award for elections, it should definitely go to the volunteers. They poured their hearts out—bless their souls.
Then came the obligatory pep talk for Democrats everywhere: “America’s been through a lot,” they said. “Pandemics, inflation, you name it. Feels like you’re working your butt off but still sinking in quicksand? Yep, we’ve all been there.” Let’s just say the Obamas know how to speak the universal language of everything’s been a hot mess.
But there’s hope! According to them, America’s problems are totally solvable, but it’s going to take a little listening, a little grace, and a lot of pretending we’re all on the same team (even when we’re not). They wrapped it up with the world’s most optimistic statement: “In a country as big and diverse as ours, we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything.” Translation: We’ll probably argue until the cows come home, but let’s try to be nice about it.
They ended it with some of that Obama magic: “Progress requires us to extend good faith and grace—even to people we totally disagree with. That’s how we’ve come this far, and that’s how we’ll keep going.”
Take a deep breath, everyone. Barack and Michelle are showing us how to be graceful losers (and winners, really). Maybe we should all take notes?
Here's our statement on the results of the 2024 presidential election: pic.twitter.com/lDkNVQDvMn
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 6, 2024