Hillary Clinton warned Thursday the “dignity and respect for women and girls is also on the ballot in this election,” taking a clear shot at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s remarks about women.
In her first joint campaign rally with First Lady Michelle Obama, Clinton delivered an introduction focused on an issue that Obama has been particularly outspoken about in the final months of the 2016 campaign. Clinton lauded Obama for what she said was an eloquent and powerful defense of women.
“Michelle reminds us to work hard, stay true to our values, be good to one another, and never, ever stop fighting for what we believe in,” Clinton said. “She has spent eight years as our first lady advocating for girls around the world to go to school.”
Clinton added: “Seriously — is there anyone more inspiring than Michelle Obama?”
Obama has emerged one of the most powerful surrogates for the Democratic nominee, eight years after her husband defeated Clinton in the 2008 Democratic primaries.
The popular first lady delivered an electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention over the summer. And earlier this month, Obama delivered an impassioned condemnation of Trump for his recently unveiled lewd comments about women.
“I can’t believe I’m saying a candidate for president of the United States has bragged about sexually assaulting women,” Obama said at the time.
With her voice quivering, Obama recalled a recent meeting with young women at the White House.
“I told them they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” Obama said at the time. “I wanted them to understand that the measure of any society is how it treats women and girls.”