On Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, Michelle and Barack Obama delivered strong endorsements for Kamala Harris, urging party supporters across the U.S. to turn out and vote to defeat Donald Trump in November.

“Hope is making a comeback,” Michelle Obama declared to the Chicago crowd, echoing her husband’s famous “hope and change” campaign slogan.

In their speeches, the Obamas, two of the Democratic Party’s most influential figures, praised Kamala Harris while sharply criticizing Trump, whom Barack Obama described as a president defined by “bluster and chaos.”

However, they also cautioned Democrats not to underestimate the closeness of the race, despite the enthusiasm surrounding Harris’s campaign. Both emphasized that the election’s outcome would be determined in a few critical swing states.

“Make no mistake, it will be a fight,” said Barack Obama, 63, the former president.

Michelle Obama, 60, reinforced this message: “We need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt. We need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us.”

Barack Obama expressed confidence in the country’s readiness for “a new chapter,” adding, “We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. And Kamala Harris is ready for the job.”

The Obamas’ appeal to voters reflected a broader concern within the Democratic Party about the narrow race between Harris and Trump, who continues to maintain strong support from his base.

While Harris holds a slight lead in national polls, experts caution that the race remains very close in the crucial battleground states that will ultimately determine the election’s outcome under the electoral college system.

Although Harris is the incumbent candidate, she has referred to herself and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as underdogs in the race.