On the night before Election Day, Kamala Harris brings in celebrities. Donald Trump is unimpressed
Rapper Fat Joe speaks during a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Matt Rourke]
On the night before Election Day, at campaign events across the country, celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga and Jon Bon Jovi turned out in force for Kamala Harris ‘ presidential bid.
The battleground state of Pennsylvania was particularly starry: In Pittsburgh, the vice president’s rally featured Cedric the Entertainer, Katy Perry and Andra Day. In Philadelphia, the finale of Harris’ daylong dash across Pennsylvania, performers and presenters included DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe and Ricky Martin, while Gaga sang a soulful “God Bless America” and Winfrey brought first-time voters to the stage.
Republican Donald Trump was decidedly unimpressed with Harris’ celebrity lineup.
At his own rally in Pittsburgh, which overlapped with Harris’ event in the city, the former president criticized Harris for one celebrity endorsement in particular: Beyoncé. He spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s appearance at a Harris rally with Harris in Houston last month, drawing boos for the megastar from his supporters.
“Beyoncé would come in. Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs. There were no songs. There was no happiness,” Trump said.
Oprah Winfrey speaks at a campaign rally supporting Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS/Matt Slocum
Beyoncé did not perform at the event but was joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, and gave a joyful, impassioned speech met with cheers.
Previously, Beyoncé allowed the Harris campaign to take on her 2016 track “Freedom,” a cut from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” as its anthem.
Trump added that Harris should have learned a lesson from Hillary Clinton and had Beyoncé speak after her, saying, “That way the people stay.”
In 2016, Beyoncé performed at a campaign event for Democratic nominee Clinton in Cleveland in the days leading up to the election.
“They booed like hell, but the press didn’t play that,” Trump continued in his description of Beyoncé’s appearance at the Harris event.
He insisted his campaign doesn’t need celebrities to pack in a crowd, adding: “We don’t need a star because we have policy. We have great policy.”
At another point in the same rally, though, he enthused: “So many celebrities here, it’s incredible: Mike Pompeo, please stand up,” introducing his former secretary of state.
Trump also was joined by Megyn Kelly and baseball star Roberto Clemente’s son.
Harris lined up performers to speak and play at campaign rallies in all seven battleground states on Monday, and melded them all into one Democratic get-out-the-vote livestream.
In Las Vegas, performers included Christina Aguilera and electro-dance duo Sofi Tukker. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sugarland, the country music duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, took the stage.
In Detroit, performers included Jon Bon Jovi, who sang a quiet acoustic version of his band’s working-class anthem “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
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