Michelle Obama: Women’s safety at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House

Michelle Obama challenged men to support Kamala Harris’ bid to become America’s first female president and warned women’s lives would be at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.

During a rally in Michigan on Saturday, the former First Lady called the attack on abortion rights a harbinger of dangerous restrictions on health care for women.

Mrs. Obama said some men might be inclined to vote for Mr. Trump because of their anger at the slow pace of progress, but “your anger does not exist in a vacuum.”

Appearing onstage with Ms. Harris, he warned: “If we don’t make this choice right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, and all of us women will be collateral damage to your anger.

“So are you, as men, ready to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and say that you support this attack on our security?”

The rally in Kalamazoo was Mrs. Obama’s first appearance on the campaign trail since speaking at the Democratic National Convention over the summer, and her words were searing and passionate in support of Ms. Harris.

“She showed that she was ready in every respect,” the former first lady said. “The real question is: Are we ready for this moment as a country?

“Don’t believe the lies that we don’t know who Kamala is or what she represents. This is someone who understands you, all of you.”

Although Mrs. Obama has been a reluctant campaigner for years, she showed no hesitation as her speech on Saturday ranged from the political to the personal.

He said he was afraid for his country and had a hard time understanding why the presidential race was approaching.

“At night I wonder, ‘What’s going on in the world?’ “I was lying awake thinking,” he said.

Mrs. Obama, her voice shaking with emotion, spoke of women’s struggle to understand and care for their own bodies, whether it’s their menstrual cycle or menopause. She talked about the dangers of birth, where a split-second decision can mean the difference between life and death for the mother and her baby.

“I implore all of you from the core of my being to take our lives seriously,” implored Mrs. Obama.

Ms. Harris then took the stage and promised the crowd that she would have their best interests in mind, unlike Mr. Trump, whom she accused of only caring about herself.

“There is a longing in our country for a president who does not constantly look in the mirror, but sees people who understand you and will fight for you,” he said.

The high-profile rally comes after Ms. Harris appeared with Beyonce in Houston on Friday and campaigned with former president Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen in Atlanta on Thursday.

That’s a level of celebrity clout that surpasses anything the Republican candidate, Mr. Trump, has been able to achieve this year. But there is no guarantee it will help Ms. Harris in the close race for the White House. In 2016, Hillary Clinton lost to Mr. Trump despite galvanizing the crowd with musical performances and Democratic allies.

Mr. Trump ignored his rival’s attempt to leverage his star power for his campaign.

“Kamala is at a dance party with Beyonce,” the former president said Friday in Traverse City, Michigan. He held a rally Saturday in Novi, a suburb of Detroit, before a later event in State College, Pennsylvania.

Saturday is the first day early in-person voting is possible across Michigan. More than 1.4 million ballots have already been mailed, representing 20% ​​of registered voters.

While Ms. Harris was with Mrs. Obama in Michigan, President Joe Biden visited the North American International Labor Union in Pittsburgh. He said Ms. Harris once walked the picket line with the United Auto Workers — “she has a backbone like a ramrod,” he said — while Mr. Trump undermined organized labor.

“He views unions as obstacles to the accumulation of wealth by individuals,” Mr. Biden said. “Defeating Donald Trump is in the interest of working people, more than any other race you’ve been in.”

Mr. Biden’s remarks to the mostly male audience referenced the gender divide that has been a consistent feature of this year’s presidential race.

Speaking of Mr Trump, the president added: “I tell you the truth, he is pathetic as a man.”