Former First Lady Michelle Obama suggested that anyone not backing Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency might be influenced by sexism.
She questioned if voters are “prepared for this moment” during a rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Saturday.
Obama voiced her concerns over the “too close” race between Harris and former President Donald Trump, describing Harris as “an extraordinary human being” who would make an “extraordinary president.”
She wondered, “Why is this contest so tight?” and shared her late-night ponderings about the state of the country’s affairs.
“Kamala Harris is an extraordinary human being, she is an extraordinary candidate, and she will be an extraordinary president of the United States of America. Mark my words. So, Michigan, with all that being said, I gotta ask myself, well why on earth is this race even close?” Obama questioned.
According to the former first lady, the question isn’t whether Harris is prepared, but whether the nation is ready to support her.
“I lay awake at night wondering, what in the world is going on? And, it’s clear to me, the question for me isn’t whether Kamala is ready for this moment … because by every measure she has demonstrated that she’s ready,” she continued. “The real question is, as a country, are we ready for this moment?”
Obama went on to criticize the ex-president for “gross incompetence,” contrasting it with the expectations placed on Harris to constantly impress the public.
“I hope that you’ll 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 slumlord, 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,” she listed off.
Obama claimed that Harris’s victory during the debate was so clear that Trump is “too scared to face her again.”
“Why is this race even close?” she questioned the crowd.
She challenged the audience, asking them if they were “willing to do what it takes to get her across the finish line,” or get “distracted” and fall for Trump’s “scam.”
“Are we going to lose sight of the dire consequences if we come up short? And, right now folks, I have to be honest, I’m not completely sure of the answers to those questions,” she continued.
“Y’all give me great comfort in this arena, but, this is a big country, and that’s why all of my hope about Kamala is also accompanied by some genuine fear.”
At the same event, she questioned why Harris faces such high expectations from Americans, who are willing to overlook Trump’s “childish, mean-spirited antics.”
“For Trump we expect nothing at all, no understanding of policy, no ability to put together a coherent argument, no honesty, no decency, no morals,” she concluded.
Watch Obama’s full speech here:
