91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
00000177-6edd-df44-a377-6fff44880001Related: Live National Updates From NPR

First Lady Campaigns For Hillary Clinton In North Carolina

Alex Sanz

First Lady Michelle Obama campaigned for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Charlotte and Raleigh on Tuesday.In an afternoon speech at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum, Obama told students she's seen the presidency up close. She said America needs a commander-in-chief who's not going to "pop off" or start Tweeting at 3 a.m.

"Don't be fooled, preparation matters,” Obama told the crowd in her speech, which was webcast on WFMY. “Temperament matters. And Hillary Clinton has it all. She's the real deal."

Obama urged students to get involved in the campaign - reminding them how close the presidential election was in North Carolina in 2008 and 2012.

 “We got to get to work. It's plain and simple,” she said. “Things are close here. And it's not enough to come to a rally, get a selfie... I know y'all love your selfies.”

Earlier in the day, the first lady had sharp criticism for Clinton's Republican rival, Donald Trump, in Charlotte.

"The presidency doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are," she said. "That's the kind of president they will be. And trust me, a candidate is not going to suddenly change once they're in office."

Obama rebuked Trump for his false claim that President Barack Obama wasn't born in the United States, his overnight Twitter tirade about the former Miss Universe and his refusal to release income tax returns.

President Barack Obama won North Carolina in 2008, but lost the state to Mitt Romney in 2012.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Stories, features and more by WUNC News Staff. Also, features and commentary not by any one reporter.
Related Stories
  1. Hillary Clinton Focuses On Economic Fairness In Raleigh Rally
  2. A Busy Day On The Stump In NC
  3. Amid Controversy Over Gun Remark, Trump Holds Rally Near Ft. Bragg
More Stories
  1. Protests And Presidential Nominations: What Went Down At The National Conventions
  2. #BackChannel: Black Women In The Penal System, Michelle Obama’s Memoir, & Lauryn Hill's Impact
  3. #BackChannel: The Rise Of The Black Superhero, The Obama Portraits, And Why HBCUs Still Matter
  4. Annotation: Trump's Victory Speech One-Year On
  5. Donald Trump Jr.'s Emails About Russia Meeting, Annotated