Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a sharp rebuke to Donald Trump on Saturday during a packed campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, criticizing the former president for avoiding further debates with Vice President Kamala Harris.

“She is building a remarkable campaign in record time. “She dominated her opponent so thoroughly in the debate that he was too afraid to face her again,” Obama told thousands of supporters at the Wings Event Center.

Newsweek contacted Trump’s campaign team via email on Saturday seeking comment.

The high-risk rally in southern Michigan, about 130 miles from Detroit, comes at a critical time as polls show the race in this battleground state becoming increasingly close.

Recent data from FiveThirtyEight shows Harris holding a slim 47.6 percent lead in Michigan to Trump’s 47.1 percent, while nationally, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll has Harris leading Trump 46 percent to 43 percent.

Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, form 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 decide the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.

“As you know, this race is close right now. It’s too close for my taste,” Obama confirmed to the energetic crowd. “And I came here to Michigan because I’m someone who takes her own advice to heart.”

The battleground state, with its 8.4 million registered voters and 15 of the 270 electoral votes needed for victory, presents unique challenges for both candidates. Michigan’s large Arab-American and Muslim populations have expressed concern about Israel’s war in Gaza, while union members remain concerned about how electric vehicles could transform 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 conflict and bring peace to the Middle East.

“That’s all they want,” Trump said in suburban Novi, where he also vowed to reverse what he described as an economic decline. “I think Detroit and some of our areas make us a developing country,” he added.

The contrast between the candidates became even clearer earlier in the day when Harris met with medical professionals in Portage, Michigan.

During the meeting, she addressed what she described as a health crisis following the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that ended federal protections for abortion rights nationwide. Harris’ campaign, alongside Obama, focused on highlighting the stark differences between the candidates on key issues such as abortion rights, taxes, unions and tariffs.

Obama’s impassioned appeal to voters reflected the urgency of the moment. “I know that if we want to help this country finally move beyond the politics of hate and division, we can’t just sit around and complain. No, we have to do something,” she said at the rally.

The former first lady, who along with her husband endorsed Harris in July after President Biden decided not to run for re-election, has actively campaigned for the Democratic candidate.

In an Instagram video posted earlier Saturday, she stressed the critical nature of the upcoming elections: “In this final phase we must give everything we have. We must vote as if our lives depended on it, and we must show up in numbers. There is no denying that.”