Yesterday (November 16th), former First lady Michelle Obama took to Instagram to go off on Donald Trump for refusing to concede the presidential election. She wrote, “This week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on where I was four years ago. Hilary Clinton sic had just been dealt a tough loss by a far closer margin than the one we’ve seen this year. I was hurt and disappointed — but the votes had been counted and Donald Trump had won. The American people had spoken. And one of the great responsibilities of the presidency is to listen when they do.”
She continued, “So my husband and I instructed our staffs to do what George and Laura Bush had done for us: run a respectful, seamless transition of power—one of the hallmarks of American democracy. 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. 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.”
Michelle went on, “So I welcomed Melania Trump into the White House and talked with her about my experience, answering every question she had — from the heightened scrutiny that comes with being First Lady to what it’s like to raise kids in the White House.”
She said she knew in her heart it was the right thing to do — “because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego.” She continued, “Our love of country requires us to respect the results of an election even when we don’t like them or wish it had gone differently—the presidency doesn’t belong to any one individual or any one party. To pretend that it does, to play along with these groundless conspiracy theories—whether for personal or political gain—is to put our country’s health and security in danger. This isn’t a game.”
She ended her post by calling on on all Americans, regardless of party — especially our nation’s leaders — to honor the electoral process and do their part to encourage a smooth transition of power, “just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history.”