In a high-energy rally in Houston, Texas, music icon Beyoncé lent her star power to support Kamala Harris, declaring that America stood "on the brink of history." Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of 30,000 at Shell Energy Stadium, Beyoncé rallied for Harris and condemned Texas's restrictive abortion law, warning that it could set a precedent for the entire country if Donald Trump is reelected.
“For everyone here tonight and across the country, we need you now,” Beyoncé urged the audience, her voice resonating over the cheers. With the presidential race narrowing, Harris made a brief visit to Texas, referring to it as "ground zero for the fight for reproductive freedom." She emphasized the critical importance of the upcoming election to voters who may still be undecided.
“If Trump returns to office, he will work to ban abortion nationwide,” Harris declared. Walking onto the stage to Beyoncé’s powerful anthem, Freedom, she underscored the central theme of her campaign: protecting individual liberties. Harris described Trump’s vision as a threat to hard-won freedoms and to American democracy itself.
The stadium was packed with rally-goers wearing colorful wristbands, dancing in cowboy hats and boots, creating a concert-like atmosphere. However, Harris’s message was sobering. She discussed the severe implications of laws like Texas's near-total abortion ban, explaining that such restrictions drive doctors out of states and limit healthcare options, especially in the South. She warned that a second Trump administration might push for a nationwide abortion ban, impacting even states like New York and California.
“Elections matter,” Harris reminded the audience.
Though Beyoncé did not perform, she endorsed Harris as a leader “standing in her power.” In a heartfelt address, Beyoncé said, “I’m here as a mother, a mother who cares about the world our children are growing up in. A world where we have control over our own bodies.”
To rally support, the Harris campaign has enlisted some of the party’s biggest names. On Friday night, Willie Nelson performed a few of his best-loved songs, while actor Jessica Alba encouraged women to vote. Beyoncé was accompanied by her mother, Tina Knowles, and former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, who delivered a passionate call to action.
“We’re taking back the power from those who want to dictate women’s choices,” Rowland said. “Today, I’m casting my vote for Kamala Harris.”
On the heels of this rally, Harris joined Barack Obama in Atlanta, where they were accompanied by Bruce Springsteen, who denounced Trump as an “American tyrant.” Next, Harris will join Michelle Obama at a Michigan event.
Meanwhile, Trump held his own event in Texas, taping a podcast with Joe Rogan and labeling immigration a “national disaster.” Harris responded by calling Trump’s words “insulting to America.”
Though Harris doesn’t expect to win Texas, Democrats there are hopeful as polls suggest a close Senate race between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic candidate Colin Allred. Allred criticized Cruz for aligning with Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election and reminded voters of Cruz’s trip to Cancún during Texas’s devastating winter storm.
A significant portion of the rally was dedicated to the personal stories of Texas women impacted by restrictive abortion laws. Ondrea Cummings shared her own harrowing experience after being denied an emergency abortion. A video of her scars from life-saving surgery played before she spoke, a vivid reminder of the physical and emotional toll of Texas’s abortion laws.
Todd Ivey, an OB-GYN from Houston, addressed the audience surrounded by healthcare professionals, highlighting the challenges of providing care under laws that criminalize abortion. “There is no place for Donald Trump in my exam room,” he asserted.
For many in the crowd, like 32-year-old Sara Gonzales, Harris’s message hit home. Gonzales, who identifies as an independent, shared her determination to vote for Harris after Texas’s abortion ban and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “As a woman in Texas, this isn’t right,” she said. “I deserve freedom over my own body.”
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