Obama and Springsteen support Harris as she warns of ‘brutally serious’ consequences if Trump wins

CLARKSTON, Ga. (AP) — Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama lent their star power to Kamala Harris’ bid for the presidency Thursday as the vice president implored Georgia voters to consider the “brutally serious” consequences if Donald Trump wins a second term in the White House.

Harris asked voters to imagine who would be sitting in the Oval Office in just three months and to think about the new president’s priorities.

“Either Donald Trump is brooding over his enemies list, or I’m working for you and checking off my to-do list,” she said. “You have the right to make this decision.”

The presence of Springsteen, whose career spans five decades, and former President Obama, still one of the biggest names in Democratic politics, underscores how Harris is leaning on some of the most prominent names in the party to help her deliver her final message and critique. her opponent.

Obama, receiving a rapturous reception from protesters at a packed high school football stadium near Atlanta, told his audience: “I understand why people want to shake things up, but I can’t understand why anyone would think Donald Trump would shake things up.” in a way that will benefit you.”

Harris echoed that message in her speech, warning that “the consequences of him becoming president again would be extremely serious.”

The lengthy rally was well behind schedule and apparently took its toll on participants. Although the vast majority of seats remained occupied, hundreds of people left the event immediately after Harris spoke after hours of programming.

The rest of the speakers wasted no time in attacking Trump.

Obama claimed that his successor was always “trying to sell you something,” was a man who cared only about “his ego, his money, his status” and regularly gave long speeches that were “just a salad of words.”

“We don’t need four years of a wannabe king, a wannabe dictator,” Obama said, before suggesting Harris as someone “ready for the job.”

Stating that Trump is focused only on himself, Obama added: “If you elect Kamala Harris… she will be focused on you.”

Springsteen also focused on Trump.

After performing “Promised Land,” a ballad from his 1978 album “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” Springsteen told the Georgia audience that he supported Harris because he wanted “a president who respects the Constitution.”

“There is only one candidate in this election who holds these principles dear: Kamala Harris. She is running for the 47th President of the United States. Donald Trump aims to become an American tyrant,” Springsteen added before playing “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Dancing in the Dark.”

The Trump campaign called Harris’s use of Obama and Springsteen “a desperate, last-ditch effort to save her growing campaign.”

“Relying on celebrities is nothing new for the party of the Hollywood elite, and as voters realize the depth of Kamala’s incompetence and radicalism, she needs more support,” the campaign said in a statement.

Harris’ rally in Clarkston, an eastern suburb of Atlanta, reflected the suburb’s reputation as “the most diverse square mile in America.” The community has welcomed waves of immigrants and refugees, and in 2020, 40% of its population was foreign-born.

The DJ working the crowd addressed not only alumni of historically black colleges and universities, but also West Indians before the event began. Among those standing in the snaking line to enter were people of Asian descent and women wearing hijabs.

Many participants said they tried to encourage their relatives and neighbors to go to the polls to vote for Harris, either through formal volunteer efforts or on their own. “I decided to volunteer because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut,” said Beverly Payne, who lives in Cumming, a suburban Republican stronghold north of Atlanta.

Payne said she is still trying to convince her mother, but has already cast one Georgia vote for Harris. “My 85-year-old father became a Democrat for the first time in his life,” she said.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson, director Spike Lee and actor/director Tyler Perry also spoke at the start of the event.

“No matter what the shenanigans, the scams and the gimmicks, okey-dock, we won’t be going back,” Lee said.

Harris’ streak of celebrity events will continue Friday when she travels to Texas for a rally in Houston with Beyoncé, according to three people familiar with the matter. The singer is a Houston native, and her 2016 song “Freedom” became Harris’ campaign anthem.

While Friday’s rally is in the red and even the most optimistic Democrat knows the vice president is unlikely to turn blue in November, Thursday’s event in Georgia underscores the state’s prominent place in her eventual path to victory over Trump.

Democrats, led by then-former Vice President Joe Biden and Harris, won Georgia in 2020, becoming the first Democratic presidential campaign to win the Southern state since Bill Clinton in 1992. Harris’ campaign hopes she can keep the state blue in 2024.

Polls of Likely Voters in Georgia New York Times/Siena To Fox News To Atlanta Journal-Constitution show the tense battle between Trump and Harris.

Thursday’s event is the first in a series of concerts by the “When We Vote, We Win” campaign, which aims to encourage Harris supporters to vote before Election Day.

Harris isn’t the only member of the Democratic campaign to lean on star power in recent days. Gov. Tim Walz, her running mate, held events Thursday in North Carolina with singer-songwriter James Taylor.

Democrats are known for leaning on high-profile surrogates in the final days of presidential races.

Springsteen has long supported Democratic presidential campaigns. The artist supported Obama in 2008 and 2012, even backing the future president in the contentious 2008 Democratic primary. He supported former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, speaking at a rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, and endorsed Biden in 2020. A New Jersey artist endorsed Harris earlier this month, calling Trump “the most dangerous candidate for president in my history.” life expectancy.”

Beyoncé also supported Clinton in 2016, performing at an event in Cleveland alongside husband and rapper Jay-Z just days before Election Day that year. And Taylor became a regular participant in Democratic events and fundraisers.

But Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016, despite significant star power behind her, serves as a warning to Democrats that the energy provided by big-name artists like Springsteen and Beyoncé is often not enough to win elections.

But Harris campaign advisers see events like those in Georgia and Texas as important moments to galvanize voter enthusiasm and get out the vote before Election Day.

According to Associated Press count2,025,645 people in Georgia have already voted early in person, and an additional 134,336 mail-in ballots have been cast for the 2024 general election.

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Merica reported from Washington. Jeff Amy contributed to this report from Clarkston.