On the first day of early voting in Michigan, Michelle Obama addressed a crowd of thousands in Kalamazoo, opening up about her frustrations—and even anger—toward the hesitation some have shown in supporting Vice President Kamala Harris.
In her speech, Obama tackled a persistent issue in the current presidential race: the glaring gender divide. She criticized what she described as “the lie that we do not know who Kamala is or what she stands for,” underscoring that far too many voters appear willing to overlook former President Donald Trump’s character flaws and his record across numerous critical issues.
Meanwhile, Trump also made campaign stops in Michigan over the weekend, visiting Traverse City on Friday night and then heading to the suburbs of Detroit on Saturday.
Polls indicate that the race is tight in swing states like Michigan, pushing Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, to rally and increase support for Harris.
Their focus has been particularly on strengthening her appeal among Black men, younger voters, and other key Democratic voter bases.
“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,” Michelle Obama stated during her first campaign appearance with Harris.
“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 continued.
Obama went on to describe Harris as a “grown-up” with a clear policy vision. She expressed concern that “too many people are willing to write off Trump’s childish, mean-spirited antics by saying, ‘Well, Trump’s just being Trump,’ rather than question his horrible behavior. Some folks think he’s funny.”
Reflecting on the 2016 election, she warned, “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.”
