Harris and Trump combine star power ahead of election

With less than three weeks until Election Day, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump pulled out all the stops on Saturday, October 19, trying to sway voters in key battleground states. Both campaigns brought star power to the fore, with Harris enlisting the support of pop icons Lizzo and Usher and Trump responding with a marathon rally in Pennsylvania, where billionaire Elon Musk campaigned on his behalf. As the race tightens and early voting begins, both candidates are looking to build support in states that could decide the 2024 presidential election.

Kamala Harris’ rallies in Detroit, Michigan, and Atlanta, Georgia, were attended by prominent music industry figures, demonstrating the Democratic candidate’s strong appeal among younger and more diverse voters. In Detroit, Lizzo energized the crowd with a speech that crossed party lines, emphasizing the importance of the president listening to the people.

“Whether you’re a Democrat, a Republican or neither, you deserve a president who listens when you talk,” Lizzo said as she addressed the crowd in a white pantsuit, a nod to the suffragette movement. She called for respect for the protests and the voice of the people, calling Harris a leader who embodies those values. To thunderous applause, she added a reference to her hit, declaring, “It’s about damn time!” – a call for America to finally have its first female president.

Later in Atlanta, another pop superstar, Usher, drummed up support for Harris by reminding voters of the high stakes in Georgia, a state that has become pivotal in determining the outcome of the national election. “I’m counting on you to carry the Harris campaign to the finish line in Georgia,” Usher told the crowd, urging them to turn out in large numbers to early vote.

At both rallies, Harris took the opportunity to criticize her opponent Donald Trump, calling him out of touch and exhausted. In Detroit, she said Trump’s platform is “self-consuming” and focuses on personal grievances rather than real solutions for the American people. “We support the idea that the true measure of a leader’s strength is not who you defeat, but who you lift up,” Harris said, emphasizing her message of supporting the working and middle classes.

In Atlanta, Harris stepped up her attack on Trump, saying he canceled interviews and avoided debates due to “fatigue.” She also highlighted his tendency to “go off script and ramble” during rallies, ridiculing his inability to finish a coherent thought. Harris, abrasive in her speeches, called her speeches “bullshit,” pointing to the incoherent nature of her public appearances. It was an apparent attempt to portray Trump as physically and mentally unfit for the presidency, a theme that the Harris campaign has increasingly emphasized as Election Day approaches.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s response to Harris’ criticism was a lengthy rally in Pennsylvania, a state he considers critical to his election victory. The Trump rally, held in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, at the airport named after legendary golfer Arnold Palmer, was classic Trump, filled with rambling speeches, attacks on Harris and fiery appeals to his base.

Trump’s speech was aimed both at proving his staying power and at reinforcing his campaign message. At 78, Trump tried to counter accusations of fatigue with a 90-minute speech that demonstrated his ability to maintain high levels of energy as he makes his case to voters. He began his speech with a long monologue about Palmer but quickly moved on to more familiar migrants attacking territory, smearing Harris and repeating false claims about the 2020 election.

Despite Harris’s jabs about his inability to stay on topic, Trump’s audience remained enthusiastic, cheering him on as he spoke about issues such as border security and economic growth. He also played an important role on behalf of working-class voters by bringing steelworkers to the stage, highlighting his appeal to the blue-collar voters who were a key part of his voter base. Trump tried to link his personal success to their struggles, recalling his expensive education at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania but contrasting it with his admiration for the hard work of the steelworkers next to him.

“If we win Pennsylvania, we win the whole damn thing,” Trump said, emphasizing the importance of the state’s 19 electoral votes in his path to victory. Trump’s campaign has been heavily focused on Pennsylvania, a state he narrowly lost to Joe Biden in 2020 but is determined to retake in 2024.

Adding to the spectacle of Trump’s advance in Pennsylvania is billionaire Elon Musk, who has become one of Trump’s most visible supporters this election cycle. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has donated nearly $75 million to the Trump American Committee, cementing his role as a key figure in the Republican’s re-election bid.

Musk, who endorsed Trump earlier in the summer, has positioned himself as an outspoken critic of the Biden administration, frequently criticizing its policies on social media. In Pennsylvania, Musk added a new element to his involvement, announcing that his organization would randomly distribute $1 million every day until Election Day to a registered voter in the state who signs a petition supporting Trump. These unusual campaign tactics are likely to further cement Musk’s status as a divisive but influential figure in American politics.

As both campaigns enter the final stretch, polls show the race virtually tied. Harris and Trump are pouring resources into battleground states like Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania, where early voting is already underway. Both candidates acknowledge that the next three weeks will determine the country’s trajectory for the next four years.

Harris’ focus on the middle class, equality and democracy stands in stark contrast to Trump’s calls for populism, economic nationalism and nostalgia for his previous term. The two candidates have different visions for America’s future, and the razor-thin margins in key states indicate the final outcome is far from clear.

However, it is clear that the stakes are higher than ever. With star power, big promises and a relentless campaign, Harris and Trump are battling on all fronts in an election that could change the future of the nation.

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