Former first lady Michelle Obama scolded men for feeling angry about the state of country and encouraged women to do the same with the men in their lives.
Michelle Obama spoke at Vice President Kamala Harris’s rally in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Saturday and tried to convince men that voting for former president Donald Trump or another candidate will inflict damage on the women in their lives.
“To anyone out there thinking about sitting out this election or voting for Donald Trump or a third party candidate in protest because you’re fed up, let me warn you. Your rage does not exist in a vacuum. If we don’t get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, we as women will become collateral damage for your rage,” Obama said, to loud applause from the crowd.
“So, are you as men prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them you supported this assault on our safety?” Obama continued, as she pointed at the camera. She did not explain specifically what would jeopardize the safety of women if Trump wins another term.
“To the women listening: We have every right to demand the men in our lives do better by us. We have to use our voices to make these choices clear to the men that we love. Our lives are worth more than their anger and disappointment” —Michelle Obama pic.twitter.com/vxHvwGPwHe
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 26, 2024
Obama went on to instruct women to influence the men around them and make their own political choices regardless of how the men they care about might perceive them.
“To the women listening: We have every right to demand the men in our lives do better by us. We have to use our voices to make these choices clear to the men that we love. Our lives are worth more than their anger and disappointment,” Michelle Obama said.
Echoing recent Democratic messaging, Obama speculated that some women may live in households where men do not value their opinion and reminded them that their vote is private. Afterwards, Michelle Obama touted Harris’s support for expanded abortion access and urged the crowd of Harris supporters to get involved in politics.
Her messaging is similar to that of her husband, former president Barack Obama, who frowned upon black men’s supposed sexism for not feeling enthusiastic about Harris’s candidacy. Although black men are backing Harris overwhelmingly, polls show they are less supportive of Harris than they have been for Democrats in the past.
The same trend applies to Latino men, as the gender divide becomes a central aspect of this election cycle. White men in particular strongly favor Trump and the Republican Party over Harris and down-ballot Democrats.
With just over a week until Election Day, the Trump campaign is seeking to lean into the former president’s distinct personality to increase his support among men, especially those who enjoy male-oriented podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience.