KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Michelle Obama urged men to support Kamala Harris’s bid to become America’s first female president at a rally in Michigan on Saturday, warning that women’s lives would be in danger if Donald Trump were to return to the White House.
The former first lady described the assault on abortion rights as a precursor to dangerous restrictions on women’s healthcare. Obama said some men might be tempted to vote for Trump due to their anger over the slow pace of progress, but “your rage does not exist in a vacuum.”
”If we don’t get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, we as women will become collateral damage to your rage,” Obama said. “So are you as men prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them you supported this assault on our safety?”
The rally in Kalamazoo marked Obama’s first campaign appearance since speaking at the Democratic National Convention over the summer, and her remarks were fervent and passionate in their support of Harris.
“By every measure, she has demonstrated that she’s ready,” the former first lady said. “The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?”
Obama added, “Do not buy into the lies that we do not know who Kamala is or what she stands for. This is somebody who understands you, all of you.”
Although Obama has been a reluctant campaigner over the years, she showed no hesitation on Saturday as her speech transitioned from political to personal. Obama said she fears for the country and finds it hard to understand why the presidential race remains close.
“I lay awake at night wondering, ‘What in the world is going on?’” she said.
Her voice filled with emotion, Obama spoke about the struggle for women to understand and care for their own bodies, whether it’s their menstrual cycles or menopause. She also addressed the dangers of childbirth, where a split-second decision can determine the outcome of life or death for a mother and her baby.
“I am asking y’all from the core of my being to take our lives seriously,” Obama pleaded.
Harris took the stage after Obama and promised the crowd that she would prioritize their interests — unlike Trump, who she accused of only being concerned about himself.
“There is a yearning in our country for a president who sees the people, not just looking in the mirror all the time, but sees the people, who gets you and who will fight for you,” she said.
After the rally, Harris joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer at Trak Houz Bar & Grill, where they enjoyed a locally brewed beer.
“I want to have whatever she’s having,” Harris said.
The politicians chatted and took photos with people at the bar. When they approached a group of young women, one of them became emotional.
Before arriving in Kalamazoo, Harris visited a local doctor’s office in Portage to discuss with healthcare providers and medical students the impact of abortion restrictions. One healthcare provider said they have patients traveling from other parts of the country with strict abortion limitations, and another expressed concern that individuals might be reluctant to practice in crucial areas of medicine due to fears of government interference.
“We are looking at a health care crisis in America that is affecting people of every background and gender,” Harris told reporters before visiting the doctor’s office.
Harris appeared with Beyoncé on Friday in Houston, and she campaigned with former President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen on Thursday in Atlanta.
This level of celebrity support surpasses anything that Trump, the Republican nominee, has managed to assemble this year. However, there’s no guarantee that this will benefit Harris in the closely contested race for the White House. In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost to Trump despite generating excitement among her supporters with musical performances and Democratic allies.
Trump dismissed Harris’s attempt to utilize star power for her campaign.
“Kamala is at a dance party with Beyoncé,” the former president said Friday in Traverse City, Michigan. Trump held a rally in Novi, a suburb of Detroit, on Saturday before a later event in State College, Pennsylvania.
Saturday marked the first day of early in-person voting across Michigan. More than 1.4 million ballots have already been submitted, representing 20% of registered voters.
When Clinton was running against Trump, Michelle Obama inspired Democrats with the slogan “when they go low, we go high.”
But this year, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, she adopted a more pointed approach. She accused Trump of “doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people’s lives better.”
While Harris was with Obama in Michigan, President Joe Biden visited the Laborers’ International Union of North America in Pittsburgh. He mentioned that Harris once participated in a picket line with the United Auto Workers — “she has a backbone like a ramrod” — while Trump has undermined organized labor.
“He views unions as getting in the way of the accumulation of wealth for individuals,” Biden said. “It’s in labor’s interest to defeat Donald Trump, more than any other race you’ve been in.”
Biden’s remarks to the predominantly male audience acknowledged the gender gap that has been a consistent element of this year’s presidential race.
Speaking on Trump, Biden said, “I’m just gonna say straight up, he’s a loser as a man.”
He also asserted that women deserve greater opportunities than they have received in the past.
“They can do anything any man can do, including be president of the United States of America,” Biden said.