Michelle Obama: 'We are more than baby-making vessels'

Former US first lady Michelle Obama warned that women's rights could be at risk if Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House.

Speaking at a campaign event in Michigan alongside Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Obama said that women should not bear the consequences of frustrations from men who would vote for Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, out of disappointment with the political system or who might choose not to vote at all.

Obama urged voters to think about what's at stake, saying, "If we don't get this election right, your wife, your daughter, your mother, we as women will become collateral damage to your rage."

Obama spoke about how new restrictions are forcing some women to travel across state lines just to access basic medical care. "We are more than baby-making vessels," she said, stressing that women deserve control over their own bodies.

After the Supreme Court, with a conservative majority shaped by then-president Trump, overturned the nationwide right to abortion, restrictive requirements and even outright bans have emerged in parts of the US.

Democrats are campaigning to restore federal abortion rights, while Republicans want to leave the issue to individual states.

As one of the most admired figures in the US, Obama's involvement in the campaign could help sway undecided voters as the race enters its final stretch ahead of the November 5 election.

Millions of US citizens have already cast their ballots in early voting. Harris and Trump are in a dead heat, according to polls.