Washington: US First Lady Michelle Obama took a dig at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, saying America "needs an adult in the White House" and not a person who is "erratic and threatening".
"When making life-or-death, war-or-peace decisions, a president just cannot pop off or lash out irrationally. No, we need an adult in the White House, I guarantee you," she said at an election rally in support of Hillary Clinton in
Philadelphia as she made a strong pitch for the 68-year-old Democratic presidential candidate.
Michelle, without mentioning Trump, 70, said the US needs someone who is compassionate.
"Someone who will be a role model for our kids. Someone who is not just in this for themselves but for the good of this entire country - all of us. At the end of the day, the presidency does not change who you are, it reveals who you are and the same is true of a presidential campaign," she said.
US presidential campaigns, Michelle said, are very long -nearly two and a half years, or half of one presidential term. "So if a candidate is erratic and threatening; if a candidate traffics in prejudice, fears and lies on the campaign trail; if a candidate thinks that not paying taxes makes you smart, or that it is good business when people lose their homes; if a candidate regularly and flippantly makes cruel and insulting comments about women, about how we look, how we act - well, sadly, that is who that candidate really is. That is the kind of president they will be," she said.
Michelle said a candidate is not going to suddenly change once they are in office - just the opposite, in fact.
"Because the minute that individual takes that oath, they are under the hottest, harshest light there is, and there is no way to hide who they really are. But see, at that point, it is too late. They are the leader of the world's largest economy, Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful military force on Earth. With every word they utter, they can start wars, crash markets, fundamentally change the course of this planet," she warned.
Michelle said Clinton is the best one to be the next president of the US.
"We know that Hillary is the right person because we have seen her character and commitment not just during this campaign but over the course of her entire life. We have seen her dedication to public service how after law school, she became an advocate for kids with disabilities. She fought for children's health care as First Lady and for quality childcare as a Senator.
"When she did not become president in 2008, Hillary did not throw in the towel. She once again answered the call to serve and earned sky-high approval ratings for the outstanding job she did for us as our Secretary of State," Michelle said.
