Former First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a stinging attack on President Donald Trump as Democrats prepared to crown Joe Biden as their White House challenger.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Michelle Obama in an emotional recorded message to the Democratic convention.
Disaffected members of President Trump’s Republican Party also piled in on him at the Democratic National Convention.
This year’s election takes place on Tuesday, November 3.
Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Democrats scrapped plans for a crowded party extravaganza with balloon drops and all the other political razzmatazz in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
However, it is unclear whether the largely virtual schedule of pre-recorded speeches with no live audience can generate the same level of enthusiasm as pre-pandemic gatherings of the party faithful.
Republicans will face the same challenge as they make their case for four more years in the White House at a drastically scaled-down convention next week.
Michelle Obama, who recorded her keynote address before Joe Biden announced his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, six days ago, launched a blistering attack on President Trump.
“You simply cannot fake your way through this job,” she said in remarks that closed the first night of the convention on August 17.
The former first lady added: “Our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long.”
“Stating the simple fact that a black life matters is still met with derision from the nation’s highest office,” Michelle Obama continued.
“Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership, or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy.”
Michelle Obama said the last four years had been difficult to explain to America’s children.
“They see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state, while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists.
“They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protests for a photo op,” she said.
Michelle Obama continued: “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head.
“He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”
Barack Obama’s wife described Joe Biden as a “profoundly decent man”, touting the Democratic White House candidate’s experience as vice-president under her husband.
“We have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” Michelle Obama said, wearing a necklace that said “Vote”.
President Barack Obama has delivered his final Christmastime weekly address on December 24.
He was joined by First Lady Michelle Obama and all together wished families across the US a joyous holiday.
Photo White House
Barack and Michelle Obama are continuing their annual tradition of spending Christmas in Hawaii, where they will remain until after New Year’s.
In their weekly address, President Barack Obama and the First Lady look back at their first joint holiday address, which appeared to tickle the commander-in-chief.
Barack and Michelle Obama also thanked US troops for their service and urged people to find ways to support them during the holidays.
Donald Trump’s New York campaign co-chair Carl Paladino has come under fire after crude remarks about President Barack Obama and the first lady.
Asked by a newspaper what he would most like to happen in 2017, Carl Paladino said he hoped President Barack Obama would die from mad cow disease and Michelle Obama would “return to being a male”.
Carl Paladino, 70, later said his remarks were meant to be humorous.
However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the comments were “racist” and “ugly”.
Photo Flickr
Many Twitter users also condemned Carl Paladino, with one saying there was “something deeply, horribly wrong” with him.
Meanwhile, the Parent Teacher Organization in the city of Buffalo called on Carl Paladino to resign from its school board.
The White House has made no public comment.
Carl Paladino, the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the post of New York governor in 2010, was asked by Buffalo’s Artvoice newspaper for his hopes for 2017.
This is Artvoice‘s traditional end-of-the-year feature, where prominent local figures give their predictions.
Referring to Barack Obama, Carl Paladino said he hoped the president “catches mad cow disease after being caught having relations” with a cow and would die and be buried “in a cow pasture”.
On Michelle Obama, he said: “I’d like her to return to being a male and let loose in the outback of Zimbabwe where she lives comfortably in a cave with Maxie, the gorilla.”
Carl Paladino later said his remarks were “about a little deprecating humor which America lost for a long time”, adding: “Merry Christmas and tough luck if you don’t like my answer.”
In her last TV interview before the family leaves the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama said America’s outlook had changed since Donald Trump won November’s election.
Speaking on Oprah Winfrey’s show, Michelle Obama said: “Now we’re feeling what not having hope feels like.”
President Barack Obama repeatedly used messages of hope in his presidential campaigns and during his time in office.
Michelle Obama played an unusually prominent role in the 2016 election cycle, throwing her support behind Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and trading barbs with Donald Trump.
The first lady called on women to rise up against Donald Trump over his groping comments and denounced his campaign’s “hateful language”.
Photo Getty Images
In turn, Donald Trump accused Michelle Obama of spending too much time campaigning for Hillary Clinton.
Michelle Obama does not mention the president-elect by name in the preview clip of the Oprah Winfrey interview, to be aired by the CBS network on December 19.
However, she repeats previous assertions that the US needs “an adult” in the White House, saying the country’s president should provide stability and inspiration.
Michelle Obama says: “Having a grown-up in the White House who can say to you in times of crisis, <<Hey it’s going to be ok, let’s remember the good things we have, let’s look at the future, let’s look at all the things that we’re building>>…
“All of this is important for our kids to stay focused and to feel like their work isn’t in vain, that their lives aren’t in vain. What do we do if we don’t have hope?”
The first lady says she believes the American public will come to appreciate President Barack Obama’s impact with time.
Michelle Obama is an unusually popular figure in America’s political landscape, with a favorability rating, measured by Gallup at 64%, that is significantly higher than that of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama.
Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2007 but failed to do so publicly in 2012.
In November, Oprah Winfrey urged voters to choose Hillary Clinton in November’s poll, saying: “You don’t have to like her… Do you like democracy or do you want a demagogue?”
Pamela Ramsey Taylor, who was suspended after calling First Lady Michelle Obama an “ape in heels” in a Facebook post, is set to return to work in West Virginia, local media say.
She runs a local non-profit group in Clay county.
According to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, Pamela Ramsey Taylor will resume work on December 23.
The screen grab of the post was widely shared online.
Local mayor Beverly Whaling resigned over the controversy, after she posted “Just made my day, Pam” to the comment.
The Gazette-Mail quoted a letter from the acting director of the non-profit group as saying Pamela Ramsey Taylor would resume work at the Clay County Development Corp on December 23.
Photo Getty Images
In her Facebook post, Pamela Ramsey Taylor had said: “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”
A petition calling for Pamela Ramsey Taylor and Beverly Whaling, the mayor of the town of Clay, to be sacked collected more than 85,000 signatures.
Clay town has a population of just 491 and has no African American residents, according to the 2010 census.
More than 98% of Clay County’s 9,000 residents are white.
The Clay County Development group, of which Pamela Ramsey Taylor is the director, is partly funded through state and federal grants, and the group provides services to elderly and low-income residents.
The state commissioner, Robert Roswall, warned at the time that the agency risked losing funding over the issue.
The controversial Facebook post spread across US and international media outlets.
Beverley Whaling issued a written apology, saying that her comment was not intended to be racist.
Clay’s town council issued a brief statement apologizing to Michelle Obama and condemning the “horrific” post and said “racial intolerance isn’t what this community is about”.
Pamela Ramsey Taylor told local news outlet WSAZ, which first carried the story, that she acknowledged her Facebook post could be “interpreted as racist, but in no way was intended to be”, and that she was expressing a personal opinion on attractiveness, not the colour of a person’s skin.
She told the news station she was considering legal action for slander against unnamed individuals.
West Virginia voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election, giving him 68.7% of ballots cast.
Beverly Whaling, the mayor of Clay town in West Virginia, has resigned after she was caught up in a controversy over racist comments about First Lady Michelle Obama.
The mayor had appeared to applaud a racist Facebook post referring to Michelle Obama as an “ape in heels”.
Beverly Whaling wrote that the post had made her day, but later said she was referring to the election outcome.
A petition calling for her resignation had gathered over 170,000 signatures.
Beverly Whaling was the mayor of the town of Clay, which has a population of just 491.
Clay has no African American residents, according to the 2010 census. In Clay County as a whole, more than 98% of its 9,000 residents are white.
Beverly Whaling had responded to a Facebook post by Pamela Ramsey Taylor, a local resident who runs a non-profit group in Clay County, which referred to Michelle Obama as an “ape”.
Pamela Ramsey Taylor wrote on her Facebook page: “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”
Mayor Beverly Whaling quickly responded with a comment: “Just made my day Pam.”
While Clay County has a small population, the furor over the Facebook post spread far and wide.
Pamela Ramsey Taylor had already been dismissed from her post.
Beverly Whaling had already issued a written apology to news media outlets saying that her comment wasn’t intended to be racist.
She said: “I was referring to my day being made for change in the White House! I am truly sorry for any hard feeling this may have caused! Those who know me know that I’m not in any way racist!”
A controversial Facebook post about First Lady Michelle Obama has sparked outrage after involving a town mayor in West Virginia.
Pamela Ramsey Taylor, who runs a local non-profit group in Clay County, wrote on Facebook: “It will be refreshing to have a classy, beautiful, dignified first lady in the White House. I’m tired of seeing a Ape in heels.”
Clay Mayor Beverly Whaling responded with “just made my day Pam”.
Beverly Whaling is mayor of the town of Clay, which has a population of just 491.
Clay has no African American residents, according to the 2010 census. In Clay County as a whole, more than 98% of its 9,000 residents are white.
Despite the small population in the region, the controversial Facebook post spread across US and international media outlets.
A petition calling for both women to be sacked has collected more than 85,000 signatures.
According to the Washington Post and New York Daily News, Pamela Ramsey Taylor was removed from her position on November 14.
Pamela Ramsey Taylor told local news outlet WSAZ, which first carried the story, that she acknowledged her Facebook post could be “interpreted as racist, but in no way was intended to be”, and that she was expressing a personal opinion on attractiveness, not the color of a person’s skin.
She told the news station she was considering legal action for slander against unnamed individuals.
The Clay County Development group, of which Pamela Ramsey Taylor is the director, is partly funded through state and federal grants, and the group provides services to elderly and low-income residents.
In a statement given to the Washington Post, Mayor Beverly Whaling said: “My comment was not intended to be racist at all” and apologized for the comment “getting out of hand.”
“I was referring to my day being made for change in the White House! I am truly sorry for any hard feeling this may have caused! Those who know me know that I’m not of any way racist!” the mayor said.
Owens Brown, director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People West Virginia chapter, said it was “unfortunate that people still have these racist undertones”.
West Virginia Democratic Party Chairwoman Belinda Biafore issued an apology to Michelle Obama “on behalf of my fellow Mountaineers”, referring to a nickname for inhabitants of the state.
“West Virginia truly is better than this. These radical, hateful, and racist ideals are exactly what we at the West Virginia Democratic Party will continue to fight against,” she said in a statement.
West Virginia voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election with 68.7% of the vote.
Donald Trump has launched a rare attack on First Lady Michelle Obama, saying “all she wants to do is campaign” for Hillary Clinton.
The Republican nominee also accused Michelle Obama of attacking Hillary Clinton in 2007 by invoking a line she had said about fitness to run the White House.
The Obama campaign had denied the line referred to Hillary Clinton.
Image source Flickr
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, accused Donald Trump of threatening democracy if he did not accept the election result.
“We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart,” the Democratic nominee told a crowd in Cleveland, Ohio.
“Donald Trump refused to say that he’d respect the results of this election. By doing that, he’s threatening our democracy.”
At his own rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump told supporters: “I see how much [Michelle Obama] likes Hillary.”
“But wasn’t she the one that originally started the statement, <<If you can’t take care of your home>>, right? <<You can’t take care of the White House or the country?>> Where’s that? I don’t hear that. I don’t hear that.”
Donald Trump was referring to a remark Michelle Obama made in 2007 while campaigning for her husband, who was running against Hillary Clinton.
Back in 2007, Michelle Obama said: “If you can’t run your own house, you certainly can’t run the White House.”
Some critics asked whether the comment had been aimed at Hillary Clinton’s relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
However, the Obama campaign maintained the line was not directed at the Clintons and instead referred to their own struggle with parenting during a campaign.
“So, we’ve adjusted our schedules to make sure that our girls are first, so while he’s traveling around, I do day trips,” Michelle Obama continued in her 2007 speech.
“That means I get up in the morning, I get the girls ready, I get them off, I go and do trips, I’m home before bedtime.”
Donald Trump was back on the campaign trail a day after he and Hillary Clinton appeared together at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation charity dinner in New York City.
The event, which takes place during election years, offers presidential candidates a chance to crack jokes about one another.
However, Alfred E. Smith V told CNN on October 21 that Donald Trump had “crossed the line and took it a little too far”.
Michelle Obama has denounced Donald Trump’s “hate” while backing Hillary Clinton for president at the Democratic National Convention.
In her speech in Philadelphia, the first lady said to loud cheers and applause: “The hateful language… from public figures on TV does not represent the true spirit of this country.
“Don’t stoop to their level. Our motto is, when they go low, we go high.”
Earlier, Bernie Sanders urged Democrats to back Hillary Clinton.
Photo Getty Images
Hillary Clinton will accept the Democratic presidential nomination on July 28, when a roll call of how states’ delegates are voting is to be read out.
“While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths,” Bernie Sanders said.
Some of Bernie Sanders’ supporters booed at mention of Hillary Clinton’s name; others wore duct tape with the word “silenced” over their mouths.
Michelle Obama’s speech was widely seen as an attack on Donald Trump, although she did not mention the Republican nominee by name.
The first lady said she wanted her husband to be succeeded by “somebody who knows this job and takes it seriously” and that could only be Hillary Clinton.
Because of the Democrats’ candidate, Michelle Obama said, “my daughters and all our sons and daughters now take for granted that a woman can be president of the United States.”
In other remarks, Michelle Obama praised Hillary Clinton as a “true public servant” who had shown “devotion to our nation’s children” and “never buckles under pressure”.
After the first lady’s speech, President Barack Obama tweeted: “Incredible speech by an incredible woman. Couldn’t be more proud & our country has been blessed to have her as FLOTUS [first lady]. I love you, Michelle.”
Donald Trump, who has criticized his rivals, both Republican and Democrat, in sometimes colorful language on Twitter, said Bernie Sanders had “sold out” to Hillary Clinton.
The Republican billionaire also condemned other speakers at the Democratic convention including senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, but made no mention of Michelle Obama.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has said that Hillary Clinton must become the next president of the United States, in a speech at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia.
Bernie Sanders received a three-minute standing ovation when he took the stage.
First Lady Michelle Obama also received a rapturous reception for a powerful speech in which she took on Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that this country isn’t great, that somehow we need to make it great again,” Michelle Obama said, referring to Donald Trump’s signature slogan “Make America Great Again”.
“Because this, right now, is the greatest country on earth,” the First Lady added.
Earlier in the evening, Bernie Sanders’ fans had booed any mention of Hillary Clinton, who will accept the party’s presidential nomination on July 28.
And as he urged Democrats to back Hillary Clinton, his former rival, in the final major speech of the night, they held aloft their blue “Bernie” signs and chanted his name.
Some supporters broke into tears while others wore duct tape emblazoned with the words “silenced” over their mouths.
Photo Getty Images
Bernie Sanders continued: “While Donald Trump is busy insulting one group after another, Hillary Clinton understands that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths.
“If you don’t believe this election is important, if you think you can sit it out, take a moment to think about the Supreme Court justices that Donald Trump would nominate and what that would mean to civil liberties, equal rights and the future of our country.”
Members of the audience had earlier disrupted the event’s opening prayer, chanting “Bernie!” while also jeering as Democratic National Committee chair Marcia Fudge delivered remarks.
The commotion prompted Bernie Sanders to send an email saying the credibility of the progressive movement would be damaged by “booing, turning of backs, walking out or other similar displays” of protests.
Revelations from an email leak which showed DNC officials allegedly plotted against Bernie Sanders’ primary campaign threatened to overshadow the event as it fuelled the anger of his voters.
WikiLeaks released emails that revealed the DNC was biased against Bernie Sanders when he ran against Hillary Clinton in the hard-fought primary contest.
The FBI has confirmed that it is investigating the leak.
Democratic chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned on July 24 as pressure built on the party to address the scandal.
Democratic party bosses later issued an apology to Bernie Sanders for “inexcusable” emails which tried to undermine his White House campaign.
However, Bernie Sanders refused to let the email scandal eclipse his message to his supporters.
“Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her here tonight,” said the Vermont senator before leaving the stage.
About 5,000 party delegates are among the 50,000 people expected to attend the four-day Democratic convention, which will end on July 28 with Hillary Clinton formally accepting the nomination for president.
Melania Trump is facing accusations of plagiarism after her speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention.
Commentators noticed similarities with First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic Convention speech.
Melania Trump’s speech also praised her husband as a “compassionate” man who would “fight for the country”.
It was her first speech of the campaign and she had the help of a speechwriting team.
In a section, Donald Trump’s wife said: “My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise; that you treat people with respect.”
Michelle Obama’s speech in 2008 carried the lines: “Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them.”
Melania Trump speech continued: “[My parents] taught me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow, because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Michelle Obama said: “And Barack Obama and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generations. Because we want our children, and all children in this nation, to know that the only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Donald Trump’s communications adviser Jason Miller issued a statement saying: “In writing her beautiful speech, Melania’s team of writers took notes on her life’s inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking.
“Melania’s immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success.”
Melania Trump, a Slovenian-born former model, had used the speech to portray her husband as a tough but compassionate unifying force.
“He’s tough when he has to be but he’s also kind and fair and caring,” she said.
“The kindness is not always noted, but it’s there for all to see. That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with.”
Melania Trump has kept a lower profile compared with other spouses of major candidates. Her adult children have often filled the role.
Her mostly personal speech contrasted with the night’s other speakers who spoke about “making America safe again”.
She said: “If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you, he is the guy.”
A wide range of speakers, including a county sheriff, a decorated combat veteran and a former model, told stories of military service, urban crime and the dangers of illegal immigration.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton took aim at presumptive Democratic nominee State Hillary Clinton, questioning her judgement in foreign affairs.
“Who would trust Hillary Clinton to protect them?” said Rudy Giuliani, whose rousing speech fired up the crowd at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
“I wouldn’t.”
Many GOP leaders – such as Ohio Governor John Kasich whose state is hosting the convention – have decided not to attend this year’s festivities, turned off by Donald Trump’s controversial stances on immigration and foreign policy.
Donald Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US and also advocated deporting almost 11 million undocumented immigrants.
A speech by Wisconsin police sheriff David Clarke strongly defended police officers in the wake of the deadly shooting in Baton Rouge, which killed three officers over the weekend.
“Blue lives matter!” David Clarke said to huge cheers from the delegates in the convention hall.
The killings prompted Donald Trump to say the country was falling apart – a claim strongly disputed by President Barack Obama.
Earlier, anti-Trump delegates failed in their final push to block Donald Trump’s nomination.
The vote that would have allowed delegates to back a candidate of their choice was quashed when three states reportedly backed out.
Some said the GOP officials had sabotaged their efforts on purpose.
The push was the last gasp for those who hope to see a different Republican candidate get the nomination.
Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry will host a dinner for President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on April 22, Kensington Palace has announced.
Photo Getty Images
“Their Royal Highnesses are very much looking forward to welcoming President and Mrs. Obama to Kensington Palace,” a statement from Kensington Palace said.
The Obamas will visit Kensington after joining the Queen for lunch at Windsor Castle – the day after her 90th birthday celebrations.
The US president will also stage a press conference with UK’s PM David Cameron.
Barack Obama’s UK stay is part of a tour including Saudi Arabia and Germany.
Speaking to graduates at Tuskegee University in Alabama, Michelle Obama has talked about having to fight misperceptions when Barack Obama started running for president in 2008.
First Lady Michelle Obama says she had to deal with more scrutiny, because of the color of her skin.
On her commencement speech at the university, Michelle Obama described the kind of focus she found herself under.
“Back when my husband started campaigning for president, folks had all sorts of questions of me,” the first lady said.
“What kind of First Lady would I be, what kind of issues would I take on?” she said.
“The truth is those kind of questions would be posed to any candidate’s spouse, that’s just the way the process works.
“But as potentially the first African-American First Lady, I was also the focus of another set of questions and speculations, conversations sometimes rooted in the fears and misperceptions of others.
“Was I too loud, or too angry? Or too emasculating? Or was I too soft?
“But eventually I realized, if I wanted to keep my sanity, and not let others define me, there was only one thing I could do, and that was to have faith in God’s plan for me.”
Michelle Obama added: “I love our daughters more than anything in the world, and that may not be the first thing some folks want to hear from an Ivy League educated lawyer, it is truly who I am.
“By staying true to the me I’ve always known, I’ve found that this journey has been incredibly freeing, because no matter what happened I had the peace of mind of knowing that all of the chatter, the name calling the doubting, all of it was just noise.
“It did not define me, it didn’t change who I was, and most importantly it couldn’t hold me back.”
Just hours after the birth of the new royal princess on Saturday, May 2nd, messages of congratulations for Kate Middleton and Prince William keep pouring on.
The newest royal member came to the world at 8.34 BST at St, Mary’s Hospital in London, weighing 8lb 3 oz.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle have extended their best wishes to second-time parents Prince William and Kate Middleton.
In a statement from the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama wished the duke and duchess “much joy and happiness on the occasion of the arrival of the newest member of their family”.
Michelle Obama danced to Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk with the So You Think You Can Dance All Stars at the 137th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 6.
The First Lady was on stage celebrating the 5h anniversary of her Let’s Move! campaign to battle childhood obesity.
The theme of this year’s Easter Egg Roll was #GimmeFive.
During her speech at the Easter Egg Roll, Michelle Obama encouraged healthy eating and an active lifestyle to the 35,000 White House guests.
It’s become more common for the First Lady to publicly dance in promotion of her campaign.
This comes only days after Michelle Obama sported her mom dance moves on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon during a segment called The Evolution of Mom Dancing Part 2.
President Barack Obama and his family will host the 137th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 6, 2015.
According to the White House’s website, this year’s theme is #GimmeFive, and more than 35,000 people will gather on the South Lawn to join in the celebrations.
The event will feature sports and fitness zones, cooking demonstrations, and Easter classics such as the egg roll and egg hunt, live music and storytelling.
The day’s activities will encourage children to lead healthy, active lives in support of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative.
Tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll were provided free of charge and were distributed via an online lottery hosted on www.recreation.gov.
Rodner Figueroa has apologized in an open letter after likening Michelle Obama to a character from the film Planet of the Apes.
He made the remarks while commenting on an internet video about a make-up artist who transforms himself into various celebrities.
The fired Univision TV presenter said his remarks were meant to be critical of the artist’s work, not an attack on the first lady.
Univision said the remarks were “completely reprehensible”.
“Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she’s from the cast of <<Planet of the Apes>>, the movie,” Rodner Figueroa said in a live broadcast on March 11 during a segment on the top-rated Spanish-language network in the US.
The show’s other hosts immediately challenged the remark and commented that Michelle Obama was very attractive.
“But it is true,” Rodner Figueroa said in response.
In the letter addressed to Michelle Obama, Rodner Figueroa said: “I would like to explain that my remark was not directed at you, but at the result of an artist’s depiction of you that I found wasn’t accurate.”
He went on to ask Michelle Obama for forgiveness and accepted responsibility for the remarks that could be “interpreted as offensive or disrespectful to you personally, or to any minority in the times we live”.
Rodner Figueroa also noted that he voted for President Barack Obama during the previous two elections, and made reference to his own multi-racial background.
Michelle Obama’s office has not responded to the controversial remarks or the apology.
Rodner Figueroa won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2014 for his work. He worked for Univision for 17 years.
Long-time Univision talk show host Rodner Figueroa has been fired after saying that First Lady Michelle Obama looks like someone from the cast of Planet of the Apes.
Rodner Figueroa, who’s known for his biting fashion commentary, made his remarks during a live segment of the show El Gordo y la Flaca in which the hosts were commenting on a viral video that shows a makeup artist transforming himself into different celebrities, including Michelle Obama.
“Well, watch out, you know that Michelle Obama looks like she’s from the cast of <<Planet of the Apes>>, the movie,” Rodner Figueroa, 42, said with a giggle.
When hostess Lili Estefan countered with “What are you saying?” and host Raul de Molina said Michelle Obama was very attractive, Rodner Figueroa defended his remark, saying “but it is true”.
In a statement, Univision called Rodner Figueroa’s comments “completely reprehensible” and said they “in no way reflect the values or opinions of Univision.”
Univision chairman Haim Saban is a major contributor to the Democratic Party who is well known to the Obama administration.
According to CNN, Rodner Figueroa issued a statement on march 12 asserting that he was fired after the network received a complaint from Michelle Obama’s office.
President Barack Obama has attended the events celebrating the 50th anniversary of a landmark civil rights march in Selma, Alabama.
Barack Obama will deliver a speech to mark “Bloody Sunday” in March 1965, when security forces attacked demonstrators.
First Lady Michelle Obama and about 100 members of Congress are also due to attend.
Afterwards Barack and Michelle Obama will join marchers in a recreation of a walk on a bridge that was severely repressed.
Police beat and used tear gas on demonstrators at the foot of Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965.
That event, and a march from Selma to Montgomery two weeks later, helped build momentum for approval of the Voting Rights Act by Congress later that year.
The legislation, pushed by President Lyndon Johnson, removed all barriers preventing African Americans from registering as voters.
President George W. Bush – who was in office between 2001 and 2009 – is also expected to take part in the commemorations.
Georgia congressman John Lewis, a Democrat who was among those injured in the violence 50 years ago, is also attending.
The White House has added a new room to the visitor route on February 10, and first lady Michelle Obama greeted tourists as they arrived.
The Old Family Dining Room has been opened to the public for the first time, the White House has announced.
The room was recently refurbished and will be a showcase for 20th century art and design.
The Old Family Dining Room is a smaller dining room situated next to the State Dining Room on the first floor.
Photo White House
The room was created by President John Quincy Adams in 1825 as a place for the first family to eat meals.
Visitors on a tour of the White House on Tuesday, February 10, were left stunned by a surprise appearance from Michelle Obama and former First Daughter Jenna Bush Hager.
Former First Daughter Jenna Bush Hager was present to interview Michelle Obama for the Today show.
At least once a year, Michelle Obama surprises visitors as they take the White House tour.
The 2014 official Christmas Tree has arrived at the White House.
A horse-drawn wagon hauled the 20-foot white fir up the driveway to the North Portico for inspection on Friday morning.
Receiving the tree were first lady Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha and family dogs Bo and Sunny.
The family circled the tree, smelled it and conferred before the first lady said: “Thumbs-up. It’s a go. We’re taking the tree.”
Malia Obama, holding Bo’s leash, said of the tree: “It’s great. It’s big.”
It’s tradition for the first lady to preside over the tree delivery on the morning after Thanksgiving. The odds are slim to none that it would ever be rejected.
The tree is chosen weeks in advance at the farm that wins the National Christmas Tree Association contest. The winner has presented the official White House tree since 1966.
In late September, a group of White House staffers including the chief usher, groundskeeper and chief horticulturist traveled to the Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Pennsylvania, to search for a tree they agreed is perfect enough to stand in the Blue Room, albeit tethered to its ceiling, as the main attraction throughout the White House holiday season. The Blue Room tree cannot be taller than 18 ½ feet, so this tree will be trimmed to fit.
The farm, run by Christ Botek, a second-generation Christmas tree farmer, also provided the official White House tree in 2010 and 2006.
The delivery marked the start of an intense few days of round-the-clock tree trimming, wreath laying and other decorating by an army of volunteer decorators who help turn the White House into a winter wonderland. Many of the decorations honor military families, a group that Michelle Obama is trying to support through a nationwide initiative.
Michelle Obama has invited military families to the White House for a first look at the decorations on Wednesday, November 27.
The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation announced December 4 as the date for the 92nd annual National Christmas Tree Lighting on the White House Ellipse at President’s Park.
The 2014 National Christmas Tree Lighting is Thursday, December 4, at 5 PM.
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Fifty Harmony, Patti LaBelle, NE-YO, Chely Wright, Nico & Vinz and The Tenors will perform at this year’s ceremony.
Free tickets for the lighting ceremony have been awarded through an online lottery.
First lady Michelle Obama has denied she may run for office after her family leaves the White House.
In an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts on Monday, Michelle Obama was asked if she might enter politics after President Barack Obama leaves office. The first lady said “definitely” not. Instead, Michelle Obama will opt to pursue something that is “service focused,” though she did not specify what.
Michelle Obama was asked if she might enter politics after President Barack Obama leaves office
Michelle Obama was one of Barack Obama’s most effective surrogates and fundraisers during his successful 2012 re-election campaign. She delivered a well-received speech at the Democratic National Convention, prompting some political onlookers to speculate she could have a political future after her husband’s term is over.
Though Michelle Obama repeated her adamant desire to avoid politics, she did seem to give a nod to another first lady who did enter into the political arena – Hillary Clinton.
When asked about the prospect of a female president, Michelle Obama said she would like to see one “as soon as possible” and that “we have some options”.
First Lady Michelle Obama has announced that her daughter Malia will start driving this summer.
Michelle Obama commented on Malia’s milestone in a taped interview broadcast Tuesday by the entertainment news show Access Hollywood. It was a joint interview with actress Sarah Jessica Parker about the role of arts in education, but host Billy Bush could not resist asking Michelle Obama about her daughters, Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12.
Michelle Obama has announced that her daughter Malia will start driving this summer (photo UPI)
Michelle Obama said Sasha loves dancing and does so several times a week in an organized program.
The first lady said her girls are like other teens in that they are anxiously counting down to the start of summer and getting ready for camp and internships.
“One child is going to be driving this summer,” the first lady said, jokingly adding: “Look out.”
Asked whether Secret Service agents would be in the back seat when Malia is behind the wheel, Michelle Obama said only that “we’ve got a plan”.
Malia Obama turns 16 on July 4, making her eligible for a learner’s permit in the District of Columbia.
Michelle Obama dodged questions about whether there is dating at the White House.
“You just want me to get pushed off the Truman Balcony,” Michelle Obama joked, suggesting that could be her punishment for revealing anything about her daughters’ dating lives.
Michelle Obama has said the mass kidnap of Nigerian schoolgirls is part of a wider pattern of threats and intimidation facing girls around the world who pursue an education.
The first lady said she and President Barack Obama were “outraged and heartbroken” over the abduction on April 14 of more than 200 girls from their school.
Michelle Obama was speaking instead of her husband in the weekly presidential address.
Michelle Obama was speaking instead of her husband in the weekly presidential address (photo White House)
The Islamist militant group Boko Haram has claimed the abductions.
Michelle Obama, who was speaking ahead of Mother’s Day in the US on Sunday, said the girls reminded her and her husband of their own daughters.
“What happened in Nigeria was not an isolated incident. It’s a story we see every day as girls around the world risk their lives to pursue their ambitions,” she said.
Michelle Obama cited the Pakistani schoolgirl and campaigner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot and wounded by the Taliban for speaking out for girls’ education.
“The courage and hope embodied by Malala and girls like her around the world should serve as a call to action,” she said.
It is unusual for a US first lady to make outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Michelle Obama has campaigned for the girls’ release.
Michelle Obama has often appeared alongside her husband during the weekly address, which is broadcast on radio with a video version available online. This is the first time she has delivered the speech alone.
Earlier this week, Michelle Obama tweeted a picture of herself in the White House holding a sign with the message “#BringBackOurGirls”.
The UN Security Council expressed outrage over the abductions, saying it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram. The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the group.
Michelle Obama is to deliver Barack Obama’s weekly presidential address to condemn last month’s abduction of Nigerian girls.
First ladies normally refrain from outspoken foreign policy remarks, but Michelle Obama has been a vocal campaigner for the release of more than 200 girls.
Fifty-three of the schoolgirls escaped soon after being seized in Chibok on April 14 but many more remain captive.
Islamist militant group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack.
Michelle Obama is to deliver Barack Obama’s weekly presidential address to condemn last month’s abduction of Nigerian girls
The United Nations Security Council expressed outrage over the abductions in north-eastern Borno state, and demanded the immediate release of the students.
It said it would consider “appropriate measures” against Boko Haram. The US is seeking to have UN sanctions imposed on the group.
Michelle Obama is due to make the address ahead of Mother’s Day, which the US marks on Sunday.
“As the mother of two young daughters, Mrs. Obama is taking up the opportunity to express outrage and heartbreak the president and she share over the kidnapping,” White House deputy spokesman Eric Schultz said.
“The first lady hopes that the courage of these young girls serves as an inspiration… and a call to action for people around the world to fight to ensure that every girl receives the education that is their birthright,” he added.
Michelle Obama has often appeared alongside her husband during the weekly address, which is broadcast on radio with a video version available online. This is the first time she will deliver the speech alone.
Earlier this week, she tweeted a picture of herself in the White House holding a sign with the message “#BringBackOurGirls”.
President Barack Obama has described the kidnapping as “heartbreaking” and “outrageous”.
A small number of US and British experts have now started arriving in Nigeria to assist the government’s rescue efforts.
A senior US official said Washington was also considering a Nigerian request for surveillance aircraft.
But analysts have pointed out the difficulty of using aerial reconnaissance in the region’s rugged forests.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said on Friday he believed the schoolgirls were still in his country and had not been moved to neighboring Cameroon.
Boko Haram has admitted capturing the girls, saying they should not have been in school and should get married instead.
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