GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Storied congresswoman Gabby Giffords was featured alongside prominent state Democrats for Vice President Kamala Harris' second campaign event in West Michigan on Monday.
The event, held at the Early Bird Cafe in East Grand Rapids, saw Giffords with State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Rep. Hillary Scholten, of Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.
Last week, Harris' campaign saw a similar event, with state lawmakers expressing their support for the vice president. The sentiments from both events were largely similar, with speakers Brinks and Scholten complimenting Harris on her time with President Joe Biden.
Giffords' speech was focused strictly on gun violence, arguing a vote for Harris is a vote for gun reform. In 2011, Giffords survived an assassination attempt when a gunman opened fire at a "Congress on your corner" event, hitting 19 people and killing six.
Giffords has spent the time since relearning how to speak. Though she did not talk about former President Donald Trump's assassination attempt, Gifford referenced her own, aligning her battle with speech to the national battle on gun violence.
"I've known the darkest of days, days of pain and uncertain recovery, but confronted by despair of summons hope, confronted by paralysis and aphasia, I responded with greater determination," Giffords said. "I put one foot in from the other. I found one word, and then I got another. My recovery of the daily fight, but it makes me stronger."
"Words once came easily. Today I struggle to speak, but I've not lost my voice," Giffords added. "America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words."
Since her assassination attempt, both Giffords and her husband, Arizona senator and potential Harris VP pick Mark Kelly have been vocal against gun violence. Giffords said the next step in her fight is to support Harris.
"We are at a crossroad. We let the shooting continue, or we can act," Giffords said. "We can protect our families, our future. We can vote. We can be on the right side of history."
Rep. Scholten, who spoke just before Giffords took the stage, said Giffords' presence is symbolic to Harris' mission.
"We know that women are really excited about this election, about the opportunity to elect the first woman in history to be President of the United States," Scholten said. "With Roe versus Wade being overturned, with attacks on IVF and birth control happening every single day, you know that if we don't get out and elect individuals who are going to fight for our freedoms, we're going to lose them."
Scholten, who was one of the first lawmakers to call for Biden to step down, said she fully supports Harris.
"This is not about taking guns away. This is about safe storage laws. This is about banning high capacity magazines. This is about having universal background checks," Scholten said. "Having laws that are overwhelmingly popular with the majority of Americans, but we've refused to get traction because of who's been in control in Washington."
Scholten said Giffords' fight for gun reform is one Harris carries, saying her support means more than a speech.
"Having Gabby here today to talk about these issues just means so much to so many who have been fighting for safer gun laws in our country for so long now," Scholten said. "I think it really underscores how gun violence does not spare any political party. It is, unfortunately, a detrimental impact in our society, regardless of your age, your gender or your political party."
Giffords did not take questions from the press following her speech.
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the Trump campaign for comment on the situation. They responded with the following statement:
"President Donald J. Trump is running for President because he understands that our country is at a crossroads. A crossroads between unaffordable costs of living, open borders, and electric vehicle mandates, or economic success, secure borders, and job stability for Michiganders. The Biden-Harris agenda has given Michigan more inflation, record-high energy bills, an increasingly unaffordable housing market, and an immigration crisis at our southern border. That’s why dangerously liberal Kamala is losing the Great Lakes State and why President Trump is poised to flip it red,” Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita said.