Last month we had to sit and endure Donald Trump’s 90-minute-long ramble that had members of his own party falling asleep. Now, in stark contrast to the poor show from Trump, we’ve been treated to one of the best speeches ever, and it’s kind of poetic that it should come from Hillary Clinton of all people.
The former Democratic candidate was met with thunderous applause when she took the stage on day one of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) in Chicago. Her appearance was met with a several-minute-long standing ovation that nearly rivaled the one Joe Biden would later receive that evening. For millions of Americans, seeing Hillary on stage was a full-circle moment, made no less impactful by the thunderous chant that filled the stadium halfway through her speech upon mention of Trump’s criminal record.
“Lock him up!” the crowd cried, as Hillary, who very nearly soldiered on with her speech, paused to not-so-subtly nod in knowing agreement. Not eight years earlier, MAGA crowds across the U.S. were chanting “Lock her up,” prompted by Trump’s childish efforts to delegitimize her position in the 2016 race. Oh, how the tables have turned.
It no doubt must have felt pretty good for her to hear that. Honestly, it’s enough to bring a tear to your eye.
Aside from that, Clinton herself was looking healthy — much healthier than Trump — and her speech was inspirational and heartwarming. For many, it reminded them that the U.S. isn’t as full of hate as it seems, despite the very vocal Republican camp doing everything in its power to convince us that it is. When people talk about patriotism, this is what they should be referring to — Clinton standing up for unity and kindness, not whatever rubbish falls out of Trump’s mouth.
The response to Hillary’s speech
People simply could not get enough, taking to X to share their favorite moments from Clinton’s speech and just gushing over how good the whole thing was.
She absolutely destroyed Trump with her impassioned speech, calling out his childish mockery of Kamala’s name, something she’s all too familiar with (who could forget Trump constantly calling her “Crooked Hillary?”) She also called him out for his constant lying.
Everything she said just felt right.
Hollywood actors like Rob Reiner also took to the social media platform to commend Hillary’s speech.
Hillary called for unity over division and expressed her confidence in Kamala to “lead us forward.”
It was a rather bittersweet moment, however, as many realized just how badly the U.S. messed up when it voted for Trump in 2016. Had the county gotten it right the first time around, Hillary could have been wrapping up her second term and Trump would have just been a bad memory, if he was remembered at all.
Based on her speech here, it’s safe to say she would have made a fantastic president, so it’s a real shame, especially considering the mess we ended up with for four years. We can only hope the same mistake doesn’t happen this year.
The crowd was loving it, too
Many who watched also observed the reactions of those in the crowd witnessing the whole thing firsthand. There were some pretty glorious moments, like Tim Walz’s wife, Gwen becoming emotional.
Overall, it’s safe to say there’s still a lot of love for Hillary Clinton. She may not have won the 2016 election, but she won the hearts and minds of millions of Americans, and her brilliant speech only hammered that love home. We can take comfort in the fact that Hillary chipped away at the glass ceiling so Kamala Harris could smash it to pieces.