In a high-stakes election push, Michelle Obama joined Vice President Kamala Harris in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Saturday, marking their first appearance together since the Democratic National Convention. Obama warned voters of the potential impact a Trump presidency could have on women’s reproductive health care and other critical issues.
Early voting had just begun in the Great Lakes State. Obama’s passionate speech to voters, including those undecided, highlighted the reality that there is less than a week until the presidential election.
Obama emphasized the tight race between Harris and Trump
Recent polls indicate a close race between Harris and Trump, a point the former First Lady discussed in her speech to a packed Michigan crowd.
“By every measure, she has demonstrated that she’s ready,” Obama said of Harris, according to CNN. “The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?”
She also highlighted how Harris has consistently campaigned in swing states, conducting interviews on major networks and podcasts to demonstrate her commitment to being a president for the people (as opposed to Trump, who has canceled interviews).
“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 audiences. She’s showing us what a sane, stable leader looks like.”
Obama reiterated her concern, questioning why the presidential race remains so close despite Trump’s track record and his controversial remarks about minority communities, reproductive rights and other critical issues.
“With all that being said, I got to ask myself, ‘Well, why on Earth is this race even close?’” Obama said. “I lay awake at night wondering what in the world is going on.”
Reproductive health care is an issue that should concern men as well
The Kalamazoo rally occurred just one day after the largest turnout in Houston, which highlighted reproductive freedom in Texas — a state that has some of the strictest abortion laws in the nation. The Houston event included appearances from doctors, women and celebrities like Jessica Alba, Tina Knowles, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, and abortion and women’s reproductive health care remain top concerns for Democrats in this year’s election.
During her speech in Michigan, Obama addressed men who may not consider these issues a primary concern when deciding who to vote for. She urged them to recognize that reproductive rights and health care affect everyone, including the women in their own lives.
“Please, please do not hand our fates over to the likes of Trump, who knows nothing about us, who has shown deep contempt for us,” Obama said, per CNN. “Because a vote for him is a vote against us, against our health, against our worth.”
“A vote for him is a vote against us” — Michelle Obama appeal to men on women’s health, the importance of reproductive rights, and the horrors of Trump’s abortion bans is worth your time pic.twitter.com/1JPBkADIDC
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 26, 2024
She continued, “If your wife is shivering and bleeding on the operating room table during a routine, the delivery gone bad, her pressure dropping as she loses more and more blood, or some unforeseen infection spreads and her doctors aren’t sure if they can act — you’ll be the one praying that it’s not too late,” Obama said. “You’ll be the one pleading for somebody, anybody to do something.”
Obama also addressed women with husbands or close family members who do not view this issue as pressing.
“If you are a woman who lives in a household of men that don’t listen to you or value your opinion, just remember that your vote is a private matter,” Obama said. “You get to use your judgment and cast your vote for yourself and the women in your life. Remember, women standing up for what is best for us can make the difference in this election.”
The standards to which Harris and Trump are held are vastly different
NPR reported that Obama told the crowd she was “a little angry” at the higher standards that Harris is held to compared to Trump.
“I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little frustrated that some of us are choosing to ignore Donald Trump’s gross incompetence while asking Kamala to dazzle us at every turn,” Obama said.
Obama also discussed Trump’s “incompetence,” highlighting essential characteristics about him that many people choose to overlook.
She continued, “I hope that you will forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse — all of this while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do, y’all,” she said.
Trump entered the political landscape more than nine years ago and was elected president in 2016. He has run for president in 2000, 2016, 2020 and 2024. Obama said people voted for him, thinking he wouldn’t be “that bad.”
“That’s exactly how he got elected the first time — folks gave him a pass and rolled the dice, betting that he couldn’t possibly be that bad,” she said.
“…we are indifferent to his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse — all of this while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn't even have the courage to do” – Michelle Obama https://t.co/NkHb1LVUrb
— CPhill (@cyphill71) October 27, 2024
