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Michelle Obama put 'anger aside' and helped Melania Trump
Michelle Obama has shared a powerful message about how it felt for her and husband Barack Obama to hand over the presidency to US President Donald Trump four years ago and how she welcomed Melania Trump into the White House.
The former First Lady wrote that despite Trump's "racist lies" about her husband Barack, she knew that for "the sake of our country" she had to welcome Melania and answer her every question about becoming First Lady.
Michelle also slammed Trump for his refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden won the recent election and will be sworn in as President in January 2021.
Biden enjoyed a large lead, winning 306 electoral college votes, while Trump won 232.
Trump has continued to say he has won the election, despite the facts saying otherwise.
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Taking to Instagram, Michelle shared a lengthy statement that read, "This week, I’ve been reflecting a lot on where I was four years ago. Hilary Clinton 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.
“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. We invited the folks from the president-elect’s team into our offices and prepared detailed memos for them, offering what we’d learned over the past eight years.
"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. 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 continued, "I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do — because our democracy is so much bigger than anybody’s ego. 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. So I want to urge all Americans, especially our nation’s leaders, regardless of party, to honour the electoral process and do your part to encourage a smooth transition of power, just as sitting presidents have done throughout our history."
Her fans were quick to share their support.
"This is what we all needed to hear,” one wrote. “Thank you for constantly being a beacon of hope to all of us."
Another said, "You are the epitome of grace. I don’t know how you did it."
Someone else added, "Beautifully said, thank you once again for being such a beautiful example of a leader in this country."
Michelle made it no secret during the lead up to the election that she wasn't a fan of Trump's.
In a 24-minute video where she urged Americans to vote for Biden, she described America as in a state of “chaos”.
"Let’s be honest,” Michelle said.
“Right now, our country is in chaos because of a president who isn’t up to the job. And if we want to regain any kind of stability, we’ve got to ensure that every eligible voter is informed and engaged in this election."
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