Barack Obama slams Trump, makes appeal for Hillary Clinton

President Barack Obama made a fervent plea for Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, casting the Democratic nominee as a custodian of his legacy while rejecting Republicans’ message as fostering anger and hate.

In remarks that demonstrated Obama’s lasting appeal to wide swaths of the Democratic Party, the President sought to describe country headed firmly in the right direction, despite the loud protestations otherwise by Donald Trump.

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Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, takes the stage before giving a speech Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

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Clinton walks on stage with her running mate, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.

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Balloons fall from the ceiling of the Wells Fargo Center after Clinton's speech.

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Clinton arrives for her speech.

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During her speech, Clinton ripped into Republican nominee Donald Trump for his convention pitch "I alone can fix it." She said: "He's forgetting every last one of us. Americans don't say: 'I alone can fix it.' We say: 'We'll fix it together.' "

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Clinton acknowledges the crowd before her speech.

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Clinton's husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, applauds along with their daughter, Chelsea.

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Clinton is the first woman in U.S. history to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party. "It's true," she said in her speech, "I sweat the details of policy -- whether we're talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan; the number of mental health facilities in Iowa; or the cost of your prescription drugs. ... Because it's not just a detail if it's your kid, if it's your family. It's a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your President."

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Clinton gives a thumbs-up to the crowd.

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Clinton embraces her daughter before speaking.

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Bill Clinton becomes emotional Thursday as he listens to Chelsea introduce her mother.

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Chelsea Clinton said her mother is a "listener and a doer, a woman driven by compassion, by faith, by kindness, a fierce sense of justice, and a heart full of love."

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Singer Katy Perry performs "Rise" on Thursday.

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Khizr Khan holds his personal copy of the U.S. Constitution as he speaks Thursday. His son, Humayun S. M. Khan, was one of the 14 American Muslims who have died serving their country since 9/11. In his remarks, Khan criticized the Republican nominee: "If it was up to Donald Trump, (my son) never would have been in America. ... Donald Trump, you are asking Americans to trust you with our future. Let me ask you: Have you even read the U.S. Constitution? I will gladly lend you my copy."

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Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks at the convention on Thursday.

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi speaks to the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.

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Delegates cheer on Thursday.

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LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride takes the stage.

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Delegates hold up signs in support of presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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Clinton and U.S. President Barack Obama wave to the crowd Wednesday after Obama gave a speech.

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Obama and Clinton hug after Obama's speech.

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Obama and Clinton acknowledge the crowd.

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Clinton points to Obama as she walks on stage after his speech.

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Delegates stand as Obama speaks.

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"This year, in this election, I'm asking you to join me -- to reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what's best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next President of the United States, and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation," Obama said.

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Obama told the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center that he is "more optimistic about the future of America than ever before." He contrasted it with the "pessimistic vision" of America he heard during the Republican convention last week. "There were no serious solutions to pressing problems -- just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate," he said.

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Obama said Clinton is more ready than he was to become President. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," Obama said, referring to her stint as secretary of state.

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The crowd welcomes Obama.

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Clinton's running mate, Tim Kaine, waves to the crowd along with his wife, Anne Holton, after giving a speech on Wednesday.

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During his speech, Kaine said: "Hillary Clinton and I are compañeros del alma. We share this belief: Do all the good you can. And serve one another. Pretty simple. That's what I'm about. That's what you're about. That's what Bernie Sanders is about. That's what Joe Biden is about. That's what Barack and Michelle Obama are about. And that's what Hillary Clinton is about."

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Delegates hold posters during Kaine's speech.

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Kaine comes out to the stage on Wednesday.

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Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, right, cheers during the speech of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

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"I understand the appeal of a businessman President. But Trump's business plan is a disaster in the making," said Bloomberg, an independent. He said the Republican nominee is a "risky, reckless, and radical choice."

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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden also went after Trump, saying "this guy doesn't have a clue about the middle class -- not a clue. Actually, he has no clue, period."

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Biden walks to the podium before delivering his speech.

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A delegate wears a Bernie Sanders mask on Wednesday. Sanders finished second to Clinton in the presidential primaries.

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Broadway performers sing "What the World Needs Now Is Love" on Wednesday.

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Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords waves to the audience before speaking on Wednesday.

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People hold up prints that pay respect to those who were killed in the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting of June 2015. Two survivors of the shooting were speaking to the crowd.

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A delegate wears stickers in support of Clinton.

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Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is escorted to the podium by his wife, Landra, on Wednesday.

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Clinton appears live on a video screen Tuesday night. Just a few hours earlier, she officially became the party's presidential nominee. She is the first woman to lead a major party's presidential ticket. "I can't believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet," she told the crowd.

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Actress Meryl Streep addresses the crowd before Clinton's video message. Streep said Clinton will be the first female President of the United States, "but she won't be the last."

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Former U.S. President Bill Clinton waves to the crowd before giving a speech on Tuesday.

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The former President told the crowd about how he met his wife for the first time. He also called her "the best damn change-maker I've ever met in my entire life."

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Bill Clinton arrives on stage to give his speech. In his speech, he portrayed his wife as a woman who tirelessly ran a family and a career. "She always wants to move the ball forward," he said. "That is just who she is."

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Former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright waves to the crowd after speaking on Tuesday.

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Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean re-enacts his infamous "Dean Scream" during his speech.

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Actresses America Ferrera, right, and Lena Dunham walk on stage to deliver remarks.

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Florida delegate Bernard Jennings holds a cardboard cutout of Hillary Clinton over the face of his young son Ethan on Tuesday.

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"Mothers of the Movement" -- mothers whose unarmed children have been killed by law enforcement or due to gun violence -- take the stage Tuesday.

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Actress Elizabeth Banks walks onto the stage Tuesday.

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U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders waves to the crowd after the Vermont delegation cast its roll-call votes Tuesday.

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Sanders smiles while attending roll call. He moved to name Clinton the official nominee.

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The crowd cheers after Clinton was formally nominated.

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A delegate cries during the roll-call vote Tuesday.

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A staff member tallies Alabama's votes during roll call on Tuesday.

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Delegates hold up signs referring to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the running mate of Republican nominee Donald Trump.

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Sanders delivers the headline speech on Monday. "I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed about the final results of the nominating process," Sanders said. "I think it's fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am. But to all of our supporters -- here and around the country -- I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved."

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Sanders spoke out against Republican nominee Donald Trump and said Clinton must become President. "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," Sanders said.

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Sanders acknowledges the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center.

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U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren talks to the crowd in Philadelphia. "We are not going to be Donald Trump's hate-filled America," she said. "Not now. Not ever."

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First lady Michelle Obama gives a speech. "This election -- every election -- is about who will have the power to shape our children for the next four or eight years of our lives," she said. "And I am here tonight because in this election, there is only one person who I trust with that responsibility -- only one person who I believe is truly qualified to be President of the United States. And that is our friend, Hillary Clinton."

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Obama waves to the crowd.

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In his speech Monday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker included a message about togetherness. "Patriotism is love of country. But you can't love your country without loving your countrymen and countrywomen," he said.

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Singer Paul Simon performs "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

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Delegates hold up signs Monday.

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U.S. Sen. Al Franken appears on stage with comedian Sarah Silverman. Franken, of course, has a comedic background as well, having once starred on "Saturday Night Live."

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Anastasia Somoza, an advocate for people with disabilities, comes out to speak.

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Former pro basketball players Jason Collins, left, and Jarron Collins wave to the crowd. Jason Collins, the first openly gay player in the NBA, said he told the Clintons about his sexual orientation before coming out publicly.

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A delegate wears a pin showing her support of Clinton.

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Delegates hold signs reading "Love trumps hate" on Monday.

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A delegate supports Sanders at the convention.

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Tape on a delegate's mouth makes a statement Monday about the Democratic National Committee. Recently leaked committee emails appeared to show favoritism toward Clinton in the primary race, and many Sanders supporters entered the convention upset. The controversy has caused Debbie Wasserman Schultz to step down as the committee's chairwoman at the end of the convention.

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Members of the media stand during the event.

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Obama said his former secretary of state is a better qualified candidate than even he or her husband, former President Bill Clinton, had been when they sought office.

“I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman – not me, not Bill, nobody – more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America,” Obama said to a roaring crowd – and a belly-laughing Bill Clinton – at the Democratic National Convention.

Even as a pessimistic attitude pervades the presidential campaign, Obama attempted to harness the optimism that propelled him into office eight years ago.

“America is already great,” Obama insisted, rejecting Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.” “America is already strong. And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.”

In remarks that defended his own record as a progressive leader as much as they boosted the candidate who could maintain them, Obama argued that two terms of a Democrat weren’t enough to finish the work he started.

“I have confidence, as I leave this stage tonight, that the Democratic Party is in good hands,” Obama said to scattered sighs among the delegates. “My time in this office hasn’t fixed everything; as much as we’ve done, there’s still so much I want to do.”

Ahead of Obama’s speech, aides said the President was intent on highlighting the aspects of Clinton’s record he feels have been overlooked through the years, including her work protecting children and her dogged work as his secretary of state.

Obama worked with White House speechwriter Cody Keenan on the address for three weeks, going through six drafts. The most recent draft came after First Lady Michelle Obama’s well-received speech on Monday night, which had the President up until 3 a.m. on Tuesday re-writing, White House officials said.

Michelle Obama endorsed her husband’s speech.

“That’s my man! Your truth, dignity and grace reminds us what real leadership looks like. I am always proud of our @POTUS.” she tweeted.

The President had debated whether he should do a point-by-point policy speech but decided to talk about themes of America given how unconventional the election has become.

He also acknowledged that many Democrats remain wary of their party’s nominee.

“Hillary’s got her share of critics,” Obama said. “She’s been caricatured by the right and by some folks on the left; accused of everything you can imagine – and some things you can’t. But she knows that’s what happens when you’re under a microscope for 40 years. She knows she’s made mistakes, just like I have; just like we all do. That’s what happens when we try.”

And he offered a nod to the supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, many of whom remain bitterly disappointed in their candidate’s loss to Clinton in this year’s primary contests.

“This is not your typical election,” Obama said during his fourth Democratic convention speech. “It’s not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right. This is a more fundamental choice – about who we are as a people, and whether we stay true to this great American experiment in self-government.”

Detailing Clinton’s record, Obama said the former top diplomat had the best view of what it takes to occupy the Oval Office.

“Nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office,” Obama said. “You can read about it. You can study it. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war. But Hillary’s been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions.”

Her rival, meanwhile, is merely ginning up fear to secure votes, Obama argued.

“Donald Trump calls it ‘a divided crime scene’ that only he can fix,” Obama said of the Republican nominee’s descriptions of the state of the country. “He’s just offering slogans, and he’s offering fear. He’s betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election.”

“That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose,” Obama continued. “Because he’s selling the American people short. We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power doesn’t come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. We don’t look to be ruled.”

Obama said the message at last week’s GOP convention in Cleveland “wasn’t particularly Republican – and it sure wasn’t conservative.”

“What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other, and turn away from the rest of the world,” Obama said. “There were no serious solutions to pressing problems – just the fanning of resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate.”

Speaking to what’s likely to be the largest remaining audience of his presidency, Obama recalled the moment 12 years ago to the day that thrust him onto the national stage. And he insisted the country was better off now than when he first entered office in 2009.

“Through every victory and every setback, I’ve insisted that change is never easy, and never quick; that we wouldn’t meet all of our challenges in one term, or one presidency, or even in one lifetime,” Obama said. “So tonight, I’m here to tell you that, yes, we still have more work to do.”