Michelle Obama came to Philadelphia, Wednesday Sept. 28, in the Clinton campaign's latest efforts gain support from Philadelphia voters. | Courtesy of Gage Skidmore
First Lady Michelle Obama made a passionate case for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in North Philadelphia on Wednesday.
Obama delivered a speech at La Salle University at noon, drawing such a large turnout that TV screens had to be set up outside the auditorium in which she was speaking to accommodate the large number of attendees.
Many Penn students made it out to the event, either to volunteer for the Clinton campaign or to just hear the speech. The audience was primarily composed of young adults and college students, an environment ripe for her message about getting the youth to vote.
She told the audience that voters under the age of 30 allowed her husband to score victories in four key battleground states in the 2012 election, including Pennsylvania.
“Each of you could swing an entire precinct and win this election for Hillary,” Obama said.
The First Lady praised Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, citing her stance on key issues throughout the election so far, such as race relations and gender equality, and defending her demeanor and qualifications for the presidency.
“So trust me Pennsylvania: experience matters, preparation matters, temperament matters,” Obama said.
She lauded Clinton’s commitment to America, saying that although “Hillary has seen the brutal hours and overwhelming stresses [of being president], she still wants this job. That’s what love [for] this country looks like.”
The cheers from the audience quickly turned into jeers once the First Lady mentioned the name “Donald Trump. ”
Obama attacked the Republican nominee and 1968 Wharton graduate numerous times throughout her speech, calling him unfit and too inexperienced to serve as commander-in-chief.
“We know that being president is not the same thing as being a game show host,” Obama joked, taking a stab at Trump for his well-known stint as the host of “The Apprentice.”
Notable Democratic political candidates in Pennsylvania also spoke before the First Lady, including Democratic senatorial candidate Katie McGinty and Congressional candidate for the 2nd District Dwight Evans. They both delved into local and state issues that they would like to solve, prefacing Obama’s speech on mostly national reform.
She noted how the former secretary of state has traveled to over 112 countries, negotiated long and challenging peace agreements and spent over eleven hours testifying in front of Congress over the Benghazi issue.
The crowd let out a roaring cheer when the First Lady concluded by proclaiming, “Hillary is tough.”
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