Former First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a sharp rebuke to Donald Trump during a packed campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday, criticizing the former president for avoiding further debates with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“She’s building a remarkable campaign in record time. Dominating her opponent so thoroughly in the debate, he was too scared to face her again,” Obama told thousands of supporters at the Wings Event Center.
In an email to Newsweek, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung responded directly to the challenge, “Sounds like Obama and Kamala are projecting that spooky szn is upon them and they are going to lose this election to the dominant President Trump.”
Michelle Obama: She’s building a remarkable campaign in record time. Dominating her opponent so thoroughly in the debate, he was too scared to face her again. pic.twitter.com/s47BPbhY9S
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 26, 2024
The high-stakes rally in southern Michigan, approximately 130 miles from Detroit, comes at a critical moment as polls show an increasingly tight race in this battleground state.
Recent data from FiveThirtyEight shows Harris holds a narrow lead of 47.6 percent to Trump’s 47.1 percent in Michigan, while nationally Harris leads Trump 46 percent to 43 percent according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, forms the “Blue Wall” – states considered crucial to the Democrats‘ path to victory. With 15 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, Michigan’s 8.4 million registered voters could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
“Right now, as you know this race is close. It’s too close for my liking,” Obama acknowledged to the energized crowd. “And I came out here to Michigan because I am someone who takes her own advice to heart.”
The battleground state, with its 8.4 million registered voters and 15 electoral votes of the 270 needed to win, presents unique challenges for both candidates. Michigan’s large Arab American and Muslim population has expressed concerns about Israel’s war in Gaza, while union workers remain anxious about how electric vehicles could reshape the U.S. auto industry headquartered in Detroit.
Earlier Saturday, Trump spoke at a rally outside Detroit, claiming he had met with local imams and arguing he deserved the support of Muslim voters because he would end conflicts and bring peace to the Middle East.
“That’s all they want,” Trump declared in the suburb of Novi, where he also pledged to reverse what he characterized as economic decline. “I think Detroit and some of our areas makes us a developing nation,” he added.
The contrast between the candidates was further highlighted earlier in the day when Harris met with women medical providers in Portage, Michigan.
During the meeting, she addressed what she described as a healthcare crisis following the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended federal protection for abortion rights nationwide. The Harris campaign, alongside Obama, focused on emphasizing the stark differences between the candidates on key issues including abortion rights, taxes, unions, and tariffs.
Obama’s passionate appeal to voters reflected the urgency of the moment. “I know that if we want to help this country finally turn the page on the politics of hatred and division, we can’t just sit around and complain. No, we’ve got to do something,” she declared at the rally.
The former first lady, who along with her husband endorsed Harris in July following President Biden’s decision not to seek reelection, has been actively campaigning for the Democratic nominee.
In an Instagram video posted earlier Saturday, she emphasized the critical nature of the upcoming election: “In this final stretch, we have to give it everything we’ve got. We need to vote like our lives depend on it and show up in numbers that cannot be denied.”
Update 10/26/24 7:56 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
