Usher rallies support for Kamala Harris in Georgia saying they can make a difference as state sees razor-thin race
The superstar Usher danced out onto the stage in Atlanta on Saturday to rally support for Kamala Harris and urge voters in the crucial battleground state to vote early for the vice president.
The superstar Usher danced out onto the stage in Atlanta on Saturday to rally support for Kamala Harris and urge voters in the crucial battleground state to vote early for the vice president.
‘We have the opportunity to choose a new generation of leadership for our country,’ Usher said. ‘We’re here to support the next President of the United States: Kamala, Kamala Harris, ladies and gentlemen.’
The Grammy winner and recent Super Bowl halftime performer said he is supporting the vice president because ‘she fights for everyone’s rights, for freedom.’
‘It doesn’t matter where you’re from. She has a vision for our country that includes everyone,’ the 46-year-old went on. ‘A vision that supports small business, invests in our health and our communities and gives everyone a chance to get ahead.’
Usher rallying support for Vice President Kamala Harris at the Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA on October 19
Usher, clad in a white turtleneck and long dress coat despite the warm weather, warned Atlanta they have ‘work to do’ to get the campaign across the finish line.
His remarks come as former President Donald Trump appears to have a slight edge in the swing state, and Democrats have concerns about Harris shoring up enough support among black men.
‘We’ve led through some very unfortunate realities of our past. However, we must learn from those moments and understand that the voice that we have makes the difference for what we want to see,’ the Atlanta native said.
Kamala Harris speaking at her rally in Atlanta as early voting in the state is breaking records. The vice president urged supporters to get out and vote as well as address her agenda and go after Trump during her speech
Harris spoke moments later after being introduced by an 18-year-old first time voter where she thanked ‘Err-sher - Usher’ with a laugh.
During her remarks, Harris blasted Trump claiming he is ducking interviews and another debate because of exhaustion. She also accused him of rambling and said ‘he calls it the weave’ but she calls it ‘nonsense.’
The vice president also spoke about her economic agenda before going on the attack against the former president over abortion rights. Her remarks on the issue received some of the biggest applause from the crowd.
At the rally, she played a video of featuring the mother of 28-year-old Amber Thurman who blamed the overturning of Roe v Wade and Trump for her daughters death.
Earlier this year, ProPublica reported Thurmans death was likely preventable had she had access to abortion care in the state.
The vice president also played a clip of Trump at a recent town hall on Fox News in Georgia responding to Thurmans family giving a rebuttal to his appearance in the state earlier this week where he joked about getting better ratings. The crowd booed and hissed in response.
Thurmans family was in attendance for Harris rally as the vice president pledged to them that she would sign a bill from Congress restoring the protections of Roe if elected.
Crowds of Harris supporters decked out in bedazzled Kamala t-shirts, Harris-Walz hats, and more, lined up outside the outdoor Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta for hours to enter the event.
The Harris campaign estimated there were 11,000 people in attendance.
Kamala Harris arriving in Atlanta ahead of her rally on October 19
Inside the amphitheater, a massive ‘Georgia Voters Early’ sign was on full display as two ‘Vote’ signs flanked either side of the stage.
The first day of early voting in Georgia crushed previous records. More than 310,000 people cast ballots on the first day of early in-person voting in the state on Tuesday.
In the first four days, more than 1.2 million people had cast ballots ahead of the November election.
On Saturday, voters in the state broke another record with the most ballots cast on a Saturday for a general election. By halfway through the afternoon on Saturday more than 102,000 people had cast ballots.
People waiting in line to vote in Atlanta Georgia on October 16. More than 1.3 million people have already cast their ballots as early in-person voting in the state has been breaking records
In the Atlanta suburbs, DailyMail.com observed a steady flow of people showing up throughout the day to cast their ballots. Voters praised a smooth process with organized staff and short wait times.
Harris rally in Atlanta was her first appearance in the state since early voting began on Tuesday. At her rally, she urged supporters to vote early and noted former President Jimmy Carter at 100 years old voted early for her in the election.
Polls show a razor-thin race nationally as well as in the state. The Real Clear Politics average has Donald Trump up just over one point in Georgia with just 17 days to go before Election Day.
President Biden won the state in 2020 by just over 11,000 votes. He was the first Democrat to win the state since President Bill Clinton in 1992.
Trump won Georgia in 2016 by more than 200,000 votes.
The Harris campaign needs to see strong turnout from voters in the cities as well as surrounding suburbs to repeat Democrats’ 2020 victory.
With that, it’s bringing out its campaign heavy hitters for the final stretch of the race.
Harris will be back in Atlanta on Thursday when she has her first in-person campaign event alongside President Obama, who has been holding solo campaign events for the vice president across battleground states in recent weeks.
The singer Lizzo at a campaign event for Kamala Harris in Detroit on October 19
Earlier in the day on Saturday, Harris was in Detroit where she spoke at Western International High School.
The singer Lizzo also made an appearance at the event as Democrats look to turn out voters in the battleground with early in-person voting starting a week from Saturday.
To mark the start of early in-person voting in Michigan, former First Lady Michelle Obama will be heading to the state for her first 2024 campaign event next Saturday alongside the vice president.
