Today, Michelle Obama criticized Donald Trump for comments he made in which he boasted about sexually assaulting women, and getting away with it because he’s a “star.”
“This is disgraceful,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what party you belong to. No woman deserves to be treated this way.”
Obama’s framing differs from that of Republican political figures, many of whose denouncements were hinged on being related to women—rather than the simple wrongness of mistreating people.
Here’s what Jeb Bush had to say after Trump’s comments were leaked last week:
As the grandfather of two precious girls, I find that no apology can excuse away Donald Trump’s reprehensible comments degrading women.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) October 7, 2016
And from former presidential nominee Mitt Romney:
Hitting on married women? Condoning assault? Such vile degradations demean our wives and daughters and corrupt America’s face to the world.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 8, 2016
The language speaks to people with wives or daughters or granddaughters—not to people without nor to women themselves.
Broadened language, like FLOTUS’s words today, addresses everyone. It also keeps you from becoming the butt of John Oliver jokes.
Hillary Clinton is holding a private fundraiser in Seattle tomorrow, with special guests Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.