Beyonce's Harris rally tests superstar's political reach
Harris' lead over Trump has narrowed, polls show
Beyonce's influence may boost Harris among women and younger voters
Mixed reactions from Houston residents on Beyonce's political involvement
Adds details on Beyonce appearance and performance, in paragraphs 1-5
By Trevor Hunnicutt, Stephanie Kelly and Georgina McCartney
HOUSTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) -Superstar singer Beyonce took the stage at a rally for Kamala Harris in Houston on Friday night, not to sing but to offer her first public political appearance this election cycle at a crucial moment for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Beyonce, 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," Beyonce 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 Beyonce's 2016 album "Lemonade." Beyonce gave the vice president a long embrace before exiting.
Harris' summertime lead over Republican opponent Donald Trump in the race for the Nov. 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 Beyonce's audience. Harris led Trump by 49% to 36%, or 13 percentage points, among women voters in a Reuters/Ipsos poll published late in August.
"Beyonce is one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful women at a historic time when (politically and positionally) the most powerful woman in the U.S. is running for U.S. President," said Melvin L. Williams, a communications professor at Pace University.
Williams said he was uncertain that Beyonce would reach voters who have questions about Harris. "We must acknowledge that celebrities are great political advertisers, but they are not guarantors of political victory for candidates," he added.
The rally in Beyonce's hometown caps a string of political appearances and politically charged artistic works. In 2008, Beyonce's husband Jay-Z held a rally for Barack Obama, while Beyonce sang the national anthem and the Etta James classic "At Last" at Obama's 2009 inauguration.
She performed a rally for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016 and endorsed Joe Biden and Harris in 2020 on Instagram.
Beyonce, whose Instagram account has 314 million followers, offers Harris access to a segment of the U.S. population, especially Black and younger voters, that is deemed crucial in a closely contested race against Trump.
Hollywood celebrities, including actors Julia Roberts and Jane Fonda, are campaigning for Harris, as are musicians Bruce Springsteen, Usher and Lizzo. Trump has won the endorsement of Ultimate Fighting stars, wrestler Hulk Hogan and musicians Ted Nugent and Kid Rock.
Young female residents of Houston were mixed on the politically charged performance of the city's biggest star.
"Beyonce is a national icon because at the end of the day, we all are people with our own views and values. Beyonce is brave enough to stand by her values in the face of people judging her for it," said Nadira Smith, 27.
But Sydney Mukavetz, 25, originally from Michigan, who has been living in Houston for a year, said she thought celebrities at political rallies was a "little weird."
"It feels like an endorsement and a performance are very different," Mukavetz said.
FACTBOX-What we know about Beyonce's appearance at Kamala Harris' Houston rally nL6N3M10JV
Hollywood stars hit the road to push vote for Harris nL1N3LJ10L
Abortion in focus as Harris, Beyonce and Trump campaign in Texas nL1N3M01KM
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Georgina McCartney in Houston, Stephanie Kelly in New York and Gabriella Borter in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons, Matthew Lewis and William Mallard
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
