Michelle Obama urges support for Harris in Michigan rally

Former first woman Michelle Obama challenged men to support Kamala Harris ' bid to beryllium America's first female president, informing astatine a rally successful Michigan connected Saturday that women's lives would beryllium astatine consequence if erstwhile President Donald Trump returned to nan White House.

Obama described nan battle on abortion rights arsenic nan harbinger of vulnerable limitations connected healthcare for women. Some men whitethorn beryllium tempted to ballot for Trump because of their anger astatine nan slow gait of progress, Obama said, but "your rage does not beryllium successful a vacuum."

"If we don't get this predetermination right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, we arsenic women will go collateral harm to your rage," Obama said. "So are you arsenic men prepared to look into nan eyes of nan women and children you emotion and show them you supported this battle connected our safety?"

Vice President Kamala Harris and erstwhile first woman Michelle Obama run together astatine nan Wings Event Center successful Kalamazoo, Michigan, connected Oct. 26, 2024. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

The rally successful Kalamazoo was Obama's first quality connected nan run way since she said astatine nan Democratic National Convention complete nan summer, and her remarks were searing and passionate successful their support of Harris.

"By each measure, she has demonstrated that she's ready," nan erstwhile first woman said. "The existent mobility is, arsenic a country, are we fresh for this moment?"

Obama added, "Do not bargain into nan lies that we do not cognize who Kamala is aliases what she stands for. This is personification who understands you, each of you."

Although Obama has been a reluctant campaigner complete nan years, she showed nary hesitation connected Saturday arsenic her reside stretched from nan governmental to nan personal. Obama said she fears for nan state and struggles to understand why nan statesmanlike title remains close.

"I laic awake astatine nighttime wondering, 'What successful nan world is going on?'" she said.

Her sound vibrating pinch emotion, Obama talked astir nan struggle for women to understand and attraction for their ain bodies, whether it's their menstrual cycles aliases menopause. And she said astir nan dangers of childbirth, erstwhile a split-second determination tin mean nan quality betwixt life and decease for a mother and her baby.

"I americium asking y'all from nan halfway of my being to return our lives seriously," Obama pleaded.

Harris took nan shape aft Obama and promised nan crowd that she would support their interests successful mind — dissimilar Trump, who she accused of only being willing successful himself.

"There is simply a yearning successful our state for a president who sees nan people, not conscionable looking successful nan reflector each nan time, but sees nan people, who gets you and who will conflict for you," she said.

After nan rally, Harris went to Trak Houz Bar & Grill pinch Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, wherever they drank a locally brewed beer.

"I want to person immoderate she's having," Harris said.

The politicians chatted and took photos pinch group astatine nan bar. When they approached a array of young women, 1 of them burst into tears.

Before arriving successful Kalamazoo, Harris visited a section doctor's agency successful Portage to talk pinch wellness attraction providers and aesculapian students astir nan effect of abortion restrictions. One of them said they person patients visiting from different parts of nan state wherever location are strict limitations connected abortion, and different said she's worried that group won't want to believe successful important areas of medicine because of fears astir authorities intrusion.

"We are looking astatine a wellness attraction situation successful America that is affecting group of each inheritance and gender," Harris told reporters earlier visiting nan doctor's office.

Harris appeared pinch Beyoncé connected Friday successful Houston, and she campaigned pinch erstwhile President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen connected Thursday successful Atlanta.

It's a level of personage clout that surpasses thing that Trump, nan Republican nominee, has been capable to marshal this year. But there's nary guarantee that will thief Harris successful nan adjacent title for nan White House. In 2016, Hillary Clinton mislaid to Trump contempt firing up her crowds pinch philharmonic performances and Democratic allies.

Trump brushed disconnected Harris' effort to harness prima powerfulness for her campaign.

"Kamala is astatine a creation statement pinch Beyoncé," nan erstwhile president said Friday successful Traverse City, Michigan. Trump held a rally successful Novi, a suburb of Detroit, connected Saturday earlier a later arena successful State College, Pennsylvania.

Saturday is nan first time that early in-person voting became disposable crossed Michigan. More than 1.4 cardinal ballots person already been submitted, representing 20% of registered voters.

When Clinton was moving against Trump, Michelle Obama inspired Democrats pinch nan motto "when they spell low, we spell high."

But this year, astatine nan Democratic National Convention successful Chicago, she adopted a much biting approach. She accused Trump of "doubling down connected ugly, misogynistic, racist lies arsenic a substitute for existent ideas and solutions that will really make people's lives better."

While Harris was pinch Obama successful Michigan, President Biden visited nan Laborers' International Union of North America successful Pittsburgh. He mentioned that Harris erstwhile walked a picket statement pinch nan United Auto Workers — "she has a backbone for illustration a ramrod" — while Trump has undermined organized labor.

"He views unions arsenic getting successful nan measurement of nan accumulation of wealthiness for individuals," Biden said. "It's successful labor's liking to conclusion Donald Trump, much than immoderate different title you've been in."

Biden's remarks to nan mostly antheral assemblage referenced nan gender disagreement that has been a accordant characteristic of this year's statesmanlike race.

Speaking connected Trump, Biden said, "I'm conscionable gonna opportunity consecutive up, he's a loser arsenic a man."

He besides said that women merit much opportunities than they've received successful nan past.

"They tin do thing immoderate man tin do, including beryllium president of nan United States of America," Biden said.

In:
• Kamala Harris
• Michelle Obama
• Michigan
• 2024 Elections