Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris for US President at Houston rally
The pop icon’s influence may boost Harris among black and younger voters, a segment deemed crucial in a close race against Trump
Beyoncé, a Houston native, walked on stage to roaring applause from the crowd of some 30,000 attending Vice-President Harris’ abortion rights-themed rally, alongside fellow former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.
Instead of singing, she addressed the crowd for several minutes.
“I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said. “Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right.”
She then introduced Harris, who walked onstage to what has become her campaign anthem: the song Freedom from Beyoncé’s 2016 album Lemonade. Beyoncé gave the vice-president a long embrace before exiting.
Harris’ summertime lead over Republican opponent Donald Trump in the race for the November 5 election has all but evaporated, national opinion polls show, and she is within the margin of error in the battleground states that will likely decide the election, her campaign says.
But she has picked up a considerable advantage over Trump with women, who most polls and surveys show make up much of Beyoncé’s audience. Harris led Trump by 49 per cent to 36 per cent, or 13 percentage points, among women voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published late in August.
