Bill Clinton makes his 2016 campaign debut in Iowa
DES MOINES -- Bill Clinton says he has his own ceiling to break.
"I want you to support Hillary for me, too," he said to more than 4,000 of Hillary Clinton's supporters gathered in downtown Des Moines on Saturday evening. "Because I want to break a ceiling. I am tired of the stranglehold that women have had on the job of presidential spouse."
The line landed.
"Look, we're laughing," he continued, as the crowd cheered. "This is serious business."
The rally, headlined by Katy Perry, marked Bill Clinton's first time speaking on behalf of his wife on the campaign trail. He stood supportively alongside Clinton at her launch event on Roosevelt Island in New York back in June but only waved to the crowd, and has since then limited his participation to fundraising and advising Clinton and her team in private.
He kept his remarks here short, joking that he was "well aware" that he was a "warm-up act," but he took the time to touch on many of the issues Clinton has prioritized in her campaign, including equal pay and early childhood education.
And in closing, he struck a hopeful tone.
"I've seen it all," he said. "But I promise you, there's not a better positioned country for the future than we are if we have the right leadership, if we make the right decisions, and if we decide we're going to do it together."
From Iowa, the Clintons will return to New York to celebrate Clinton's upcoming birthday with a star-studded fundraiser on Sunday. According to Bill Clinton's personal office, there are no other campaign events on his schedule yet. He is set to make speeches at two colleges -- Michigan State University and Ohio State University -- next month.
CBS News Associate Producer Alexander Romano contributed to this report.