Celebrities Fan Out Across Swing States in Final Voting Push for Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris’ campaign is deploying celebrities across the swing states on Monday in a final push to turn out votes before election day.
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry are headlining Harris rallies in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively, along with many other musical guests, highlighting Pennsylvania’s critical role in a razor-tight race. But the campaign is also hosting star-studded events in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Detroit and Raleigh.
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Fat Joe and Frankie Negron were due to appear with Harris at an event in Allentown, Pa., on Monday afternoon, as the campaign highlights a reference to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden. Both performers are of Puerto Rican descent, and Allentown has a large Puerto Rican population.
Fat Joe was also scheduled to appear at the rally on the “Rocky” steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Monday evening, along with Oprah Winfrey, Ricky Martin, and The Roots. Andra Day and D-Nice will appear with Harris in Pittsburgh.
Christina Aguilera and Los Tigres del Norte will appear at a rally in Las Vegas, targeting Latino voters. James Taylor will be at a concert in Raleigh, N.C.; 2 Chainz and Keyshia Cole are among the performers who will rally support in Atlanta; while Jon Bon Jovi will perform at a rally with VP candidate Tim Walz in Detroit.
The last-minute blitz recalls Hillary Clinton’s final days on the trail in 2016, which she was joined by Perry, Beyonce, Jay-Z and many others. Lady Gaga also appeared at a “drive-in” rally in Pittsburgh for Joe Biden in 2020 — a year when events were constrained by the pandemic.
Musical performers are especially valued to draw crowds the final days. But actors Robert De Niro, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston also hit the campaign trail Monday morning in Harrisburg, Pa., where they joined Gov. Josh Shapiro. Over the weekend, De Niro tailgated with Eagles fans to turn out the vote.
Comedian Paul Scheer was set to appear in Madison, Wis., while actor Sophia Bush was scheduled with Sen. Mark Kelly in Tempe, Ariz. Dulé Hill and Rosario Dawson are in Las Vegas on Monday, kicking off a canvassing operation, and Leslie Odom, Jr., is in Detroit for the Harris campaign.
SAG-AFTRA, the actors’ union, sent a message to its members on Monday morning urging them to “stay positive and in alignment with your higher being and divine source of energy.”
“Be aware and stay true to your self-sovereignty,” wrote Jodi Long, the president of the Los Angeles chapter. “Develop a spiritual practice that aligns you with the most cozy sense of harmony within yourself. We will never have peace on Earth till there is peace in the heart and home.”
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