2 weeks Ago By The Telegraph
Michelle Obama has joined Kamala Harris in Michigan for their first campaign appearance together. The former first lady is often described as a reluctant political campaigner and her participation comes as polls show Ms Harris in a virtual tie with Donald Trump in the White House race. Mrs Obama remains one of the most popular political figures in the country and has particularly high approval ratings among the groups the Harris campaign is attempting to reach most in the final 10 days before polling day: suburban voters and black Americans.
The 60-year-old is being deployed in the critical Midwestern battleground after Harris campaign insiders privately conceded they were concerned the US vice-president could lose Michigan. 11:28 PM BST Closing time The rally is over, thank you for following our coverage 11:17 PM BST Beyoncé seals the show Ms Harris wrapped up her speech after around 35 minutes, with Beyoncé’s “Freedom” ringing out through the hockey arena. According to the White House pool reporters following the vice-president, the music was so loud the base was causing the floor of the arena to shake at points.
11:09 PM BST ‘It’s Trump in there or me’ Kamala Harris unveiled one new line of attack against Donald Trump this week, and she is deploying it again tonight. She asks the crowd to imagine the next occupant of the Oval Office. “It’s either Donald Trump in there stewing over his enemies list or me working for you,” she said.
“And you have the power to make that decision.” 11:07 PM BST Pitch to Gen Z The Democratic candidate has moved on to making a pitch to Gen Z. “You, who have only known the climate crisis, are leading the charge to protect our planet and our future,” she tells them.
“You, who grew up with active shooter drills, are fighting to keep our schools safe. “You, who now know fewer rights than your mothers and grandmothers, are standing up for reproductive freedom. “And for you, all these issues are not, they’re not political.
They’re your lived experience. And I want to tell you I see you, and I see your power”. Could young voters be the deciding factor in this election? That remains to be seen.
11:02 PM BST Back to comfort zone Unlike Michelle Obama, the US vice-president has not spent much time dwelling on the biggest threat she faces in Michigan: voter apathy. Instead, she is focusing on the topic she feels most comfortable discussing: abortion bans. But as someone in the crowd points out, those aren’t at issue in the Democrat-controlled state.
Kamala Harris replied: “Not in Michigan, but look, if there’s a national abortion ban, nobody is safe. “And that’s why I thank everybody for being here, knowing this is at stake for everybody”. 10:55 PM BST Can Kamala match up to Michelle? Much of Kamala Harris’ speech so far is familiar, but there is no doubt the vice-president has massively improved on the campaign trail.
She appears more confident and relaxed than ever. She was unfazed by the protester who interrupted her earlier, letting the crowd jump in and rally to her defence. But there is no doubt she lacks the oratorical talent of her warm-up act.
In her defence, there are few politicians with the skills to successfully follow Michelle Obama. 10:48 PM BST Gaza war protester Ms Harris is interrupted by a protester as she attempts to prosecute her case against Trump. “We’ve got just 10 days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime,” she says before the demonstrator shouts: “No more Gaza war”.
The crowd is quick to shout over him and he is swiftly escorted out of the venue in Kalamazoo. 10:44 PM BST ‘Lock him up’ Ms Harris has launched into her stump speech and yet again she is highlighting her past role as California’s attorney general. Her campaign appears to have settled on a strategy to make the vice-president appear tough.
It is also an implicit way to remind voters that Trump is a convicted felon. When some of the crowd chant “lock him up”, she interrupts with: “The courts are going to handle that - we’re going to handle November”. 10:39 PM BST Kamala Harris takes over Kamala Harris begins by thanking her “dear and incredible friend, the former First Lady” for stumping for her.
“I’ve known Michelle for years and she is an inspiration,” she said. “She is a truth teller, and she motivates us to get to work, especially when the stakes are high.” 10:37 PM BST A warm introduction for the VP Michelle Obama worked the crowd into a frenzy before introducing Kamala Harris to the stage.
The two women - both in brown trouser suits - held each other in a warm embrace. Now it is up to Ms Harris to continue the energy. 10:34 PM BST The line of the night? Michelle Obama makes a direct pitch to men, with polls showing a stark gender split between support for Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.
She said: “I recognise that there are a lot of angry, disillusioned people out there, upset with the slow pace of change. And I get it, it is reasonable to be frustrated. We all know we have a lot more work to do in this country.
“But...
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 to your rage.” It might just be the line of the night.
10:31 PM BST A skilful speech It is the cadence to the former first lady’s speeches that makes them so effective. The rhythm and pace of her address has the audience hanging on her every word. Of Donald Trump, she says: “A vote for him is a vote against us”.
Then there’s the concise, witty way in which she summarises complex issues. Describing the thorny issue of abortion, she says: “A woman’s body is complicated business, y’all”. 10:31 PM BST Kamala Harris with Michelle Obama 10:25 PM BST Reproductive rights It took around 20 minutes into her speech for Mrs Obama to get to reproductive rights.
The issue is close to her heart. The former First Lady has been open about her own fertility struggles, using IVF to conceive her two children with Barack Obama. Abortion access and reproductive rights are two of the Democrats’ strongest issues in the US election.
But Mrs Obama’s decision to spend the early part of her speech focusing on the threat of Trump’s return to the White House underscores just how panicked the Harris campaign is about her weakness in Michigan. 10:20 PM BST Veiled pitch to Arab and Muslim Americans Mrs Obama is making a thinly veiled pitch to Arab and Muslim Americans in Michigan, many of whom are furious with Ms Harris over the administration’s handling of the conflicts in the Middle East. Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab and Muslim populations in the country, and the voting blocs have suggested many will withhold their votes for the Democratic candidate in protest.
That could cost Ms Harris the critical state, and with it, the White House. “I am praying that those of us contemplating voting for Trump or not voting at all, will snap out of whatever fog we are in,” Mrs Obama said. “I am praying that we consider the decades of sacrifice and struggle by all of our ancestors, the folks who march and sacrifice and shed their blood for us.
“We have to ask ourselves: is a vote for Trump or no vote at all the way we honour their lives? And if that’s the case, well, that surely doesn’t sound like freedom to me.” 10:17 PM BST ‘Vigor and grace’ KamalaHQ, one of the vice-president’s most prominent supporters on X, is impressed with what it has seen: . : Kamala Harris is not losing her train of thought or stumbling over her words.
And she's doing it all with vigor and with grace. That's because Kamala Harris is a grown-up. And God knows we need a grown-up in the White House — Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) 10:15 PM BST Trump’s ‘gross incompetence’ Michelle Obama says she is “frustrated” and “angry” that the White House race remains so tight.
“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,” she said. “I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behaviour, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a predator found liable for sexual abuse.” 10:12 PM BST Double standards The former First Lady alluded to potential prejudices against Ms Harris, suggesting a double standard is applied to the US vice president.
She said: “They accuse her of not providing enough policy detail. Some wonder, do we really know her? Is she too aggressive? Is she not aggressive enough? “There are folks sowing seeds of doubt about whether she’s who she appears to be. “Now, don’t get me wrong, voters have every right to ask hard questions of any candidate seeking office, but can someone tell me why we are once again holding Kamala to a higher standard than her opponent?” 10:08 PM BST Harris ‘an extraordinary human being’ Mrs Obama continues her focus on personality more than policy.
She describes Ms Harris as an “extraordinary human being”, one in touch with everyday working Americans, and characterised “by dignity and class”. The former first lady has not mentioned Donald Trump by name, but has alluded to him as a liar and an impetuous child. 10:06 PM BST Trump ‘ducking’ interviews Mrs Obama said the US vice-president “dominated her opponent so thoroughly” in the televised presidential debate that Trump was too afraid to face her again.
Continuing the theme, she cast the Republican ex-president as a coward who was “ducking” interviews. In yet another swipe at Trump, Mrs Obama said her “friend” Ms Harris was the only “grown up” in the race. The jibe triggered gleeful laughter from the crowd, which appears fired up with the appearance of one of the Democrats’ most popular figures.
10:04 PM BST A personal preview Michelle Obama previewed her appearance today on her X account Today I'm heading to Michigan to join on the campaign trail! In this final stretch, we have to give it everything we've got. It's time for everybody to ! Find ways to get involved today at . — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) 09:58 PM BST Election race ‘too close for my liking’ The former First Lady said the White House race was “too close for my liking”, with polls showing Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in a virtual tie.
Mrs Obama has got the crowd repeating one of her favourite chants: “Do something”. 09:56 PM BST Michelle Obama appears on stage Michelle Obama has taken the stage in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She joked that the city’s name should be “Kamala-zoo”.
09:30 PM BST Will Obamas save Harris, or upstage her? Barack Obama has been hitting the stump hard for Kamala Harris lately, coming out to support her at a number of rallies and pointedly telling black men, a demographic she struggles with, to vote for her. Now his wife Michelle is to take the stage with the vice-president in Michigan, amid fears in the Democrat camp that she is set to lose the key state. But can the Obamas actually save Harris? Writer Dan McLaughlin wonders if the glow of their success will expose just how poor a performance Ms Harris is giving.
Read his comment ..
