At a rally in Michigan for Kamala Harris on Saturday, Michelle Obama delivered a sharp critique of Donald Trump, labeling the former president an existential threat to women’s rights. She urged men to recognize that voting for Trump “is a vote against us.”
“I am asking y’all from the core of my being to take our lives seriously,” she said at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
“To think that the men that we love could be either unaware or indifferent to our plight is simply heartbreaking. It is a sad statement about our value as women in this world. It is both a setback in our quest for equity and a huge blow to our country’s standing as a world leader on issues of women’s health and gender equality,” Obama asked a crowd in Kalamazoo, Mich. “So fellas, before you cast your votes, ask yourselves: what side of history do you want to be on?”
The former first lady referred to Harris as a “dear friend” and encouraged voters to place “a grownup” in the White House. Although she endorsed Harris following President Biden’s departure from the race this summer, Saturday marked her first appearance on the campaign trail. Meanwhile, her husband, former President Obama, also supported Harris this month, joining her in Georgia on Thursday.
The event in Kalamazoo, which Obama playfully dubbed “Kamala-zoo,” marked her first campaign appearance since her impactful speech at the Democratic National Convention in August. Obama emphasized that voters should support Harris not simply because she is a woman, but because “Kamala Harris is a grown-up—and Lord knows we need a grown-up in the White House.”
Obama asserted that a woman affected by these policies could face “legal jeopardy if she requires a pill from out of state or overseas, or if she has to travel across state lines due to the closure of her local clinic.”
Addressing the women in the audience, Obama urged them to either persuade undecided friends and family members to vote for Harris or to take independent action.
“If you are a woman living in a household with men who don’t listen to you or value your opinion, remember that your vote is a private matter,” she said. “You have the right to use your judgment and vote for yourself and the women in your life. Keep in mind that women advocating for what’s best for us can truly make a difference in this election.”
“Kamala, she is putting herself out there fearlessly, facing down even her harshest critics. She’s seeking out Republicans to find common ground,” Obama said. “Unlike her opponent, she’s not ducking interviews or cowering in safe spaces only with fawning audience. She’s showing us what a sane, stable leader looks like.”
Obama spoke extensively about women’s health, stating that Trump has shown a lack of understanding regarding its complexities. She highlighted that his promises to repeal the Affordable Care Act, enacted during her husband’s presidency, would impact “the entirety of women’s health, all of it.”
The Harris campaign enlisted the support of Michelle Obama, along with Barack Obama and other prominent figures and celebrities like Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen, aiming to inject some last-minute energy into a presidential race that has largely stagnated.
Both Harris and Trump were in Michigan on Saturday, vying for the state’s 15 electoral votes. Following Pennsylvania, where Harris will campaign on Sunday, Michigan is one of the most crucial states for Democrats on their road to the White House.
Trump claimed victory in Michigan in 2016, breaking down the trio of “blue wall” battlegrounds. Yet, in 2020, the state gave Biden his most significant win among swing states. Furthermore, in the 2022 congressional midterms, Democrats swept Michigan, influenced by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
