WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Donald Trump has Kid Rock, Waka Flocka Flame, and Hulk Hogan.
As the 2024 campaign enters its final weeks, Democrats are significantly leveraging their star power advantage, calling on various celebrities to endorse Harris, energizing audiences and driving people to the ballot box. I hope.
Democrats have long enjoyed the advantage of celebrity and have used it to close out presidential campaigns at a time when attention and energy matter. During Trump’s rise to power, that dominance has grown even stronger. During this period, many celebrities, including non-political stars, broke their silence and spoke out against Republican leaders. This advantage often means loud, intense events in the final stages of a campaign, but history, including Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, shows that the energy at such events can sometimes confuse candidates more broadly. It highlights how to deal with such problems.
Weeks before the Oct. 20 election, Harris received support from music legend Stevie Wonder in Jonesboro, Georgia, where she rallied churchgoers by playing Bob Marley’s “Salvation Song.” I let it happen. A few days later, Harris and former President Barack Obama headlined a rally in Atlanta that featured a performance by Springsteen and speeches from famed director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. . The campaign held a rally in Texas the next day, featuring a performance by Willie Nelson and a speech by Beyoncé.
Vice Democratic presidential candidate listens to Stevie Wonder perform “Song of Salvation” during a worship and early voting event at Divine Faith Ministries International on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Jonesboro, Georgia. President Kamala Harris (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin)
Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, has also benefited from celebrity endorsement. Singer-songwriter James Taylor appeared at an event with the governor in North Carolina earlier this month. And Mr. Waltz spoke with Mr. Harris at an event in Michigan on Monday that included a five-song set from singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.
“I came for Harris,” said neighbor Ashley Overhide, who attended an outdoor Harris rally in Ann Arbor’s Barnes Park. “It’s nice to have the music career behind her, but I’ll always be here for Harris.” She called Rogers “a bonus.”
Audrey Hudson, a nursing student at the University of Michigan who voted for the first time days before the rally, described her attendance as “meeting my favorite artist and fulfilling my civic duty.”
“I’m here to support Kamala and Waltz, but Maggie Rogers, I’ve loved her music since I was in middle school. She’s been a huge influence on me.” Hudson said, adding that she believes artists like Rodgers are more relatable to younger voters and could influence how they vote.
Maggie Rogers performs at a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris at Barnes Park on Monday, October 28, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
Rachel Lieberman, 29, of Ann Arbor, said the rally in her hometown was Harris’ third event and that Rogers is the “cherry on top” that she believes will help drive out the youth vote. spoke.
“I think this is all part of mobilizing young people to vote,” Lieberman said.
Harris and the Democratic Party aren’t just relying on performance at events, either. After comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, speaking at President Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, called Puerto Rico a “garbage island in the middle of the ocean,” the Democratic Party’s campaign called on the rapper It received public support from Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, and other artists. Ricky Martin, three of Puerto Rico’s most famous celebrities. The three have over 300 million followers across various social media platforms.
Tony Hinchcliffe arrives to speak before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, October 27, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Many of the events are part of Harris’ “When We Vote We Win” concert series, aimed at encouraging supporters to vote early in key battleground states. And she is expected to have more prominent supporters in the coming days.
What you need to know about the 2024 election
While campaigning in Wisconsin on Wednesday, her rally in Madison will feature performances from Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, Remi Wolf, The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner. It’s planned. Her rally in Arizona on Thursday will be attended by Los Tigres del Norte, a famous norteño band from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. And finally, on Friday, Harris will headline a rally in Las Vegas that will feature speeches from Mana and Lopez, a Mexican pop-rock band from Guadalajara, Mexico.
The 2020 campaign was a celebrity outlier. Large election events were rare, especially on the Democratic side, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Celebrities appeared in a social media video of former Vice President Joe Biden, who later defeated Trump.
Trump has deep appeal to core voters, including singer Lee Greenwood, TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw, and former soccer players such as Brett Favre, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. As a result, it enjoys support from celebrities. Country singer Jason Aldean recently spoke at a Trump rally in Georgia, and San Francisco 49ers star defensive lineman Nick Bosa recently jumped into a teammate’s postgame interview to show off a MAGA hat. Ta.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens to Lee Greenwood sing during a faith event at the Concord Convention Center on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024 in Concord, North Carolina (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
But Republican candidates have few answers for Harris’ celebrity-attended events. Mr. Trump, whose career has made him a celebrity, often displays star power at his events. And when a celebrity like Hinchcliffe becomes a hot topic at a Trump event, it could cause problems for the Republican camp.
The attention to celebrity events, exemplified by raucous events in arenas, often makes Democrats optimistic and hopeful about their chances. But this strategy can also mask problems. Exciting crowds with celebrities and musical performances can obscure a candidate’s message and key voter base issues, a trend highlighted by former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s failed 2016 bid. Ta. .
Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga perform at Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on November 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Jerry Bloom, File)
The final week of the Clinton campaign eight years ago was a veritable red carpet filled with music icons and celebrities. Her final rally as a candidate was a heated event in North Carolina, headlined by Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. The final event with former President Barack Obama culminated with Springsteen’s performance at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall. She wrapped up her campaign in Ohio with performances by Jay-Z and Beyoncé in Cleveland. And a few days earlier, she filled Bayfront Park Amphitheater in downtown Miami, Florida with Lopez’s show-stopping performance.
“I just heard Jennifer play ‘Let’s Get Loud.’ Well, at the voting booth, I say, “Let’s go loud.” You can vote early. There’s no need to wait another day to vote,” Clinton exclaimed.
The Clinton campaign encouraged each battleground state by saying the energy they felt at the event could lead them to victory.
A few days later, Clinton lost North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and then-businessman Trump was elected president.
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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder in Ann Arbor, Michigan, contributed to this report.
