Harris Taps Beyoncé’s Star Power to Press Case Against Trump

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(Bloomberg) — Kamala Harris tethered ex-President Donald Trump to the rollback of federal abortion rights in a Friday night rally headlined by celebrity singer  Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as the vice president sought to elevate her standing with female voters in the final days before the election. 

Harris told the crowd at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston that Trump would pursue a national abortion ban and railed against efforts in Texas to obtain medical records of those who travel out of state for the procedure, calling it hypocritical from a party whose candidate has refused to release his own detailed health report.

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“Let us be clear, if Donald Trump wins again, he will ban abortion nationwide,” Harris said as supporters waved signs saying FREEDOM. “We are 11 days out from an election that will decide the future of America, including the freedom of every woman to make decisions about her own body and her reproductive freedom.”

Harris underscored Trump’s nomination of three of the US Supreme Court Justices who overturned Roe v. Wade with a warning: 

“But if he were reelected, he’d probably get to appoint one, if not two, members to the United States Supreme Court, at which point Donald Trump will have packed the court with five out of nine justices on that court who will sit, but think about that, who will sit for lifetime appointments, shaping your lives and the lives of generations to come, and that is among the many critical contrasts in this election.”

The vice president’s campaign intended to amplify her message with the help of hometown superstar Beyoncé, who spoke before Harris. The singer urged the crowd to vote, and that she was there not as a celebrity, but as a mother.

“Your voice has power and magnitude,” Beyoncé said. “Your vote is one of your most powerful tools. And we need you.”

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The appearance by Beyoncé, whose achievements include the most Grammys of any artist in history, is the buzziest yet for a final sprint that is expected to see Harris lean heavily on celebrity endorsements. About 30,000 people attended the event, according to a campaign official.

Earlier: Springsteen, Obama Rally for Harris; Trump Denies Hitler Remark

Bruce Springsteen joined former President Barack Obama rallying for Harris in Georgia earlier this week, and the Wisconsin Badger-Herald reported that Harris would headline an event with Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, and Remi Wolf on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Oct. 30.

That show will come one day after Harris is slated to deliver a speech on the National Mall that aides have billed as an effort to unveil her closing argument.

Harris is also planning a sit-down interview with CBS News on Sunday, the same day Trump is scheduled to hold a signature event of his own: a massive rally at Madison Square Garden in New York.

While Harris spoke in Houston, the former president held his own rally in Michigan, which was delayed while he recorded a podcast interview with comedian and host Joe Rogan.

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The vice president is hoping her events can help reverse a recent polling slide and bolster turnout among young and Black voters. Harris’ entry into the race saw a surge of enthusiasm among key Democratic blocs, but her momentum has slowed as Election Day nears. Polls show Harris and Trump essentially tied in the battleground states likely to decide the election.

Earlier: Two Weeks Out, Trump and Harris Are Locked in a Dead Heat

Although the impact of a celebrity’s endorsement is difficult to quantify, a 2008 study by two economists estimated that Winfrey’s support of Obama drove 1 million voters to back him in that year’s presidential election.

“If any celebrities can make a difference in 2024, it’s going to be someone like Beyoncé,” said David Haven Blake, a College of New Jersey professor who wrote a book on celebrity politics. Blake said she could be particularly effective driving turnout among young voters and people of color — key parts of the electoral coalition that put Biden in the White House and which Harris will need to reconstitute. 

Harris may also benefit from returning the focus on the campaign trail to reproductive rights. 

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Abortion was the most important issue in deciding how to vote in the presidential race for 12% of likely voters across the battleground states in a Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll released on Wednesday. It ranked third, behind the economy at 36% and immigration at 15%. 

The survey also found that 55% of likely voters had more trust in how Harris would handle the issue, while 34% said they had more trust in Trump.

“Reproductive freedom is on the ballot in this presidential election,” Harris said in Houston. “And with the work of everyone here, freedom will win.”

After she concluded her remarks, Beyoncé’s song Freedom, which has become a regular feature of her events, played.

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