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CHICAGO (AP) 鈥� Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the聽聽that were at times both hopeful and ominous.

鈥淎merica, hope is making a comeback,鈥� the former first lady declared. She then tore into聽, a sharp shift from the 2016 convention speech in which she told her party, 鈥淲hen they go low, we go high.鈥�

鈥淗is limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black,鈥� Michelle Obama said of Trump.

Barack Obama, the first Black president in U.S. history, insisted the nation is ready to elect Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage and would be the nation’s first female president. He also called Trump 鈥渁 78-year-old billionaire who hasn鈥檛 stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a constant stream of gripes and grievances that鈥檚 actually gotten worse now that he鈥檚 afraid of losing to Kamala,鈥� he said.

Takeaways from DNC鈥檚 Day 1: Joe Biden鈥檚 exit, talk of the glass ceiling, a nod to Gaza protesters

The fiery messages from two of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars underscored the urgency of the moment as Harris works to stitch together a broad coalition in her bid to defeat Trump this fall. The vice president is drawing on stars like the Obamas and other celebrities, officials from the far left to the middle, and even some Republicans to boost her campaign.

And while the theme of the night was 鈥渁 bold vision for America鈥檚 future,鈥� the disparate factions of Harris鈥� evolving coalition demonstrated, above all, that they are connected by a deep desire to prevent a second Trump presidency.

In an appearance perhaps intended to needle Trump, his former press secretary Stephanie Grisham 鈥� now a harsh critic of her former boss 鈥� also took the convention stage.

Trump 鈥渉as no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth,鈥� Grisham said. 鈥淚 love my country more than my party. Kamala Harris tells the truth. She respects the American people. And she has my vote.鈥�

Sens. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent beloved by progressives, both praised Harris.

Schumer called on voters to elect another Democratic majority to the U.S. Senate. 鈥淪he can鈥檛 do it alone,鈥� he said of a prospective President Harris.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, said he was eager to work with Harris in the White House as well. Their policy goals, he said, are “not a radical agenda.鈥�

As Democrats addressed the nation from Chicago, Harris faced an estimated 15,000 people in battleground Wisconsin in the arena where Republicans held their convention last month. She said that she was running 鈥渁 people-powered campaign.鈥�

鈥淭ogether we will chart a new way forward,鈥� the vice president said in remarks that were partially broadcast to the DNC. 鈥淎 future for freedom, opportunity, of optimism and faith.鈥�

Still, it was not all serious on the second night of the four-day convention.

A symbolic roll call in which delegates from each state pledged their support for the Democratic nominee聽. A DJ played a mix of state-specific songs 鈥� and Atlanta native Lil Jon ran out during Georgia鈥檚 turn to his hit song with DJ Snake, 鈥淭urn Down for What,鈥� to the delight of the thousands inside the cavernous United Center.

And various speakers offered personal stories about Harris, who has served as a California senator and vice president, but remains largely unknown among many voters.

Second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who would become the nation’s first gentleman if his wife wins the presidency, shared details about his relationship with the vice president 鈥� their cooking habits, their first date and her laugh, which is often mocked by Republican critics.

鈥淵ou know that laugh. I love that laugh!鈥� Emhoff said as the crowd cheered. Later, he added, 鈥淗er empathy is her strength.鈥�

Trump, meanwhile, was out on the campaign trail as part of his weeklong swing-state tour during the Democratic convention. He went to Howell, Michigan, on Tuesday and stood aside sheriff鈥檚 deputies as he labeled Harris the 鈥渞ingleader鈥� of a 鈥淢arxist attack on law enforcement鈥� across the country.

鈥淜amala Harris will deliver crime, chaos, destruction and death,鈥� Trump said in one of many generalizations about an America under Harris.

Throughout their convention, Democrats have sought to balance a message of unity with an embrace of diversity.

Barack Obama鈥檚 speech Tuesday night made perhaps the most forceful case for that model as a logical step forward for a bitterly divided nation. In contrast to the party鈥檚 rhetoric in the recent past around race, Obama framed the Democrats鈥� approach as 鈥渁 new way forward鈥� for a modern society in contrast to a 鈥渄ivisive,鈥� 鈥渙ld鈥� and 鈥渢ired鈥� strategy of vision offered by the party鈥檚 chief opponent, Trump.

Michelle Obama also addressed race directly as she jabbed Trump, referencing a comment he made in a June debate.

鈥淲ho鈥檚 going to tell him that the job he鈥檚 currently seeking might just be one of those 鈥楤lack jobs鈥�?” she said. 鈥滻t鈥檚 his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people鈥檚 lives better.”

聽20 years after making his first appearance at a national convention, a 2004 appearance in Boston that propelled him into the national spotlight ahead of his successful presidential run. And he praised President Joe Biden, who ended his reelection bid last month and endorsed Harris.

鈥淗istory will remember Joe Biden as a president who defended democracy at a moment of great danger,鈥� Obama said Tuesday as the crowd chanted, 鈥淭hank you, Joe.鈥� 鈥淚 am proud to call him my president, but even prouder to call him my friend.鈥�

Harris, meanwhile, cast the election in dire, almost existential terms. She implored Americans not to get complacent in light of the Supreme Court decision carving out broad presidential immunity, a power she said Trump would abuse.

She has also seized on Trump鈥檚 opposition to a nationally guaranteed right to abortion.

鈥淭hey seemingly don鈥檛 trust women,鈥� she said of Trump and his Republican allies. 鈥淲ell, we trust women.鈥�

The vice president’s speech in Milwaukee evoked some of the same themes that underlaid Biden鈥檚 case for reelection before he dropped out, casting Trump as a threat to democracy. Harris argued that Trump threatens the values and freedoms that Americans hold dear.

Trump said聽聽only on his first day in office, a quip he later said was a joke, and has vowed as president to聽, an area of government that has traditionally been left to the Justice Department.

Someone with that record 鈥渟hould never again have the opportunity to stand behind the seal of the president of the United States,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淣ever again.鈥�

Here are some takeaways from the convention’s second night.

The ex-presidents club

If the Republican convention was all about Trump, the Democrats on Tuesday wanted to put Harris in a pantheon with past presidents.

The biggest validators of the night were former Barack and his wife Michelle Obama. The latter linked Harris with her husband by telling the rapt crowd, 鈥淎merica, hope is making a comeback.鈥�

Barack Obama, for his part, reached back to his own 2004 convention speech to tie Harris to his legacy. 鈥淚 am feeling hopeful — because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where everything is possible,鈥� he said.

It wasn鈥檛 just the Obamas making the case for the vice president. The grandsons of Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy also portrayed her as the natural heir of past Democratic leaders.

As groundbreaking as Harris鈥� candidacy is as the first woman of color to be her party鈥檚 nominee, these speeches by an ex-president and presidential progeny were all about linking her to a broader historical arc and evoking the excitement of Obama鈥檚 2008 run that Harris hopes to replicate.

Diverting from the high road

The Obamas did not hold back in lacing into Trump. Michelle Obama’s well-worn adage from years past that 鈥渨hen they go low, we go high鈥� no longer seemed operative.

Barack Obama called Trump 鈥渁 78-year-old billionaire who hasn鈥檛 stopped whining about his problems since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.鈥�

Michelle Obama also took a personal swipe, saying: 鈥淔or years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us. His limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who also happened to be Black.鈥�

Playing off her famous line about Republicans going low, Michelle Obama suggested that Trump was going 鈥渟mall鈥� and that 鈥渋t鈥檚 unhealthy, and quite frankly, it鈥檚 unpresidential.鈥�

DNC dance party

Political conventions technically happen so that delegates can nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates.

This year, the Democrats took care of that job in advance. But that didn’t stop them from holding a ceremonial do-over and turning it into a聽

DJ Cassidy strode on stage in a bright blue double-breasted suit and spun tunes for every state as they nominated Harris and Walz. Minnesota got 鈥�1999鈥� by native son Prince, Kansas got 鈥淐arry on Wayward Son鈥� by, well, Kansas. 鈥淏orn in the U.S.A.鈥� by Bruce Springsteen played as New Jersey weighed in.

Usually it was governors or state party chairs calling out the votes, but some states passed the mic to make serious points. Kate Cox, who unsuccessfully sued her home state of Texas while seeking an abortion for a non-viable fetus, announced Texas鈥� votes. A survivor of the 2017 Las Vegas strip gun massacre announced Nevada鈥檚 votes.

The roll call highlight was when Atlanta rapper Lil Jon strode through the United Center to the beats of 鈥淭urn Down for What,鈥� his song with DJ Snake, and rapped his support for Harris and Walz.

Democrats are eager to highlight how Harris鈥� ascension has energized the party. The roll call fit that vibe.

America鈥檚 blind date with Doug Emhoff

Emhoff wants America to love his wife as much as he does.

His convention speech Tuesday night focused on their love story and offered a personal glimpse meant to pull in voters, too. He dished on the deets of their first phone call, after he left her a rambling voicemail that she still makes him listen to every year on their anniversary.

鈥淚 love that laugh,鈥� he said adoringly, a rebuttal to Trump鈥檚 criticism of Harris鈥� laughter.

As Harris flew back to Chicago from Milwaukee after her rally there, Air Force Two spent an extra 10 minutes in the air so she could watch her husband speak, according to an aide.

Emhoff said he 鈥渏ust fell in love fast鈥� with Harris, adding that she finds 鈥渏oy in pursuing justice鈥� and 鈥渟tands up to bullies.鈥� It鈥檚 not how most husbands describe their partners, but, then, Emhoff is trying to convince voters that the woman he鈥檚 been married to for 10 years this Thursday knows how to take on Trump.

A message for Republicans: It鈥檚 OK to quit Trump

The Democrats are making a play for disaffected Trump voters 鈥� and they used one of his former White House staffers to make their case.

聽worked in various roles in the Trump White House, including communications director and press secretary, allowing Democrats to argue that those who know Trump best have seen him at his worst.

鈥淗e has no empathy, no morals, and no fidelity to the truth,鈥� Grisham said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be part of the insanity any longer.”

Kyle Sweetser, a Trump voter from Alabama, told the convention the former president鈥檚 tariffs made life harder for construction workers like him. Republican Mayor John Giles of Mesa, Arizona, also spoke about why he鈥檚 backing Harris. Giles sees Trump鈥檚 policies as hurting cities like his.

A weighty prop to drive home the Democrats’ message on Project 2025

Each day of the DNC is to feature a speaker brandishing an oversized tome designed to represent the聽聽from the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Project 2025 is on one hand a very typical Washington effort, uniting a bunch of wonks and activists to map out a potential agenda for the next president. In this case, the authors include many officials who served in Trump鈥檚 administration and remain close to the candidate. Its organizers say they鈥檝e gotten dozens of conservative groups to sign on to the push, making it far more meaningful than the average collection of policy papers.

Democrats use Project 2025 as shorthand for their warnings about what might transpire in a second Trump term, particularly potential revisions to civil service rules to ensure more of the federal workforce is loyal to the president. But it鈥檚 also got page after page of other proposals, grist for attacks from the convention podium.

On Tuesday, it was Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta鈥檚 turn to wave the big book. 鈥淚t is a radical plan to drag us backwards,鈥� he declared.

Michigan Sen. Gary Peters didn鈥檛 wield the prop, but name-checked the initiative.

And Harris chimed in from Milwaukee, telling the rally crowd, 鈥淐an you believe they put that thing in writing?鈥�

Editors’ note: This content from The Associated Press was curated by MyNorthwest editors.