Michelle Obama Campaigns With Harris, Calls Trump Existential Threat To Women's Rights

Michelle Obama delivered a stinging critique of Donald Trump at a rally in Michigan Saturday with Kamala Harris, 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 the rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

"To think that the men that we love could be either unaware or indifferent to our plight is simply heartbreaking," she said.

"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 continued. "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 called on voters to place "a grownup" in the White House.

Obama quickly endorsed Harris following President Biden's departure from the race this summer, but Saturday was her first appearance on the campaign trail. Her husband, former President Barack Obama, has been campaigning for Harris this month, and joined her in Georgia on Thursday.

The event in Kalamazoo, which Obama playfully dubbed "Kamala-zoo," also 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 "Lord knows we need a grown-up in the White House."

Obama asserted that a woman affected by Trump's restrictive abortion 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."

Obama urged women in the audience them to persuade undecided friends and family members to vote for Harris, and to support the vice president, regardless of the pressure they may face not to do so.

"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 counseled. "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."

She added: "Kamala, she is putting herself out there fearlessly, facing down even her harshest critics. She's seeking out Republicans to find common ground. 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 vow to repeal the Affordable Care Act, enacted during her husband's presidency, would impact "the entirety of women's health, all of it."

Obama's powerful speech followed a similarly rousing appearance Friday in Houston by superstar Beyoncé, who also issued an impassioned plea to support women's freedoms by voting for Harris.

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 to reach the White House.

Trump claimed victory in Michigan in 2016, breaking down the trio of "blue wall" battleground states. But in 2020 the state gave Biden his most significant win among swing states. Democrats also swept Michigan in the 2022 congressional midterms in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.