Michelle Obama Warns Election Could Have Life-or-Death Consequences for Women – NBC New York

In her first stop on the 2024 election campaign, former first lady Michelle Obama delivered an urgent message to men, arguing that The choice could have life or death consequences. for the women who love.

“I ask you all from the depths of my being to take our lives seriously,” he said at a rally for Vice President Kamala Harris in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

The former first lady praised Harris’ credentials and urged voter participation and engagement in her speech. But she spent a lot of emotionally charged time arguing that there would be dire consequences for the future of women’s health if former President Donald Trump were elected once again.

“To the men who love us, let me try to paint a picture of what it will feel like if the United States, the richest nation in the world, continues to revoke basic care for its women and how this will affect each and every woman in the world. his life,” Obama said.

Obama argued that a woman affected by the policies could be “in legal jeopardy if she needs a pill from out of state or abroad, or if she has to travel across state lines because the local clinic closed.”

“Your daughter might be the one who’s too terrified to call the doctor if she’s bleeding during an unexpected pregnancy. Your niece might be the one who miscarries in the bathtub after the hospital turns her away,” she continued.

“And this won’t just affect women; it will affect you and your children,” she said, suggesting that both men and women would suffer “the devastating consequences of teenage pregnancy.”

Obama went beyond abortion, suggesting that increasingly limited access to types of health care for women could also have serious ramifications for miscarriage care, cancer screenings and access to medical professionals.

“Your wife or mother could be the ones most at risk of dying from undiagnosed cervical cancer because they don’t have access to regular gynecological care,” he said.

“And then there is the tragic but very real possibility that, in the worst case scenario, you will be the one carrying flowers at the funeral,” he later added. “Maybe you are the one who has to raise your children alone.”

Her speech comes as polls indicate a wide gender gap in Americans’ support for Harris and Trump. A NBC News Poll October found that women supported Harris by a 14-point margin, while men supported Trump by a 16-point margin. Polls from several major media outlets have also shown that Harris and Trump are locked in an extremely close race.

Obama also addressed voters who were considering not casting their ballot or voting for Trump or a third-party candidate in protest, arguing that “we, as women, will be collateral damage to your anger.”

“Are you as men prepared to look into the eyes of the women and children you love and tell them that you supported this attack on our security?” she asked.

NBC News has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.

trump position on reproductive rights has evolved over the years. While he once supported abortion rights, he now takes credit for his role in overturning Roe v. Wade after appointing three Supreme Court justices who voted with the majority. Trump says he supports the rights of states to decide the legality of abortion procedures within their own borders, and has said he would not sign a federal ban.

Obama too He argued that some people are “holding Kamala to a higher standard than her opponent.”

“We expect her to be smart and articulate, to have a clear set of policies, to never show too much anger, to prove time and time again that she belongs,” he said. “But we don’t expect anything from Trump at all. No understanding of politics, no ability to make a coherent argument, no honesty, no decency, no morals.”

And he hinted that Harris could suffer electorally if Americans are not “prepared for this moment.”

“It’s clear to me that the question is not whether Kamala is ready for this moment because, in every aspect, she has shown that she is ready,” he said. “The real question is: As a country, are we prepared for this moment?”

More than 7,000 people attended the rally, according to a Harris campaign official. Most people in the room remained standing for the entire 40 minutes of Obama’s speech, frequently breaking into applause and emphasizing his remarks.

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