Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris in joyful speech at Houston rally: 'I'm here as a mother'

HOUSTON -- Beyoncé showed her enactment for Vice President Kamala Harris astatine the campaign's rally focused connected termination rights successful Houston connected Friday.

She was joined by chap Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland connected signifier successful introducing Harris to the crowd.

"I'm not present arsenic a celebrity. I'm not present arsenic a politician. I'm present arsenic a mother," Beyoncé said.

The fashionable "Texas Hold 'Em" vocalist had yet to officially endorse Harris earlier the event, but the vice president has been utilizing Beyoncé opus "Freedom" arsenic her walk-out opus since the opening of her campaign, which is often woven into her messaging.

On Friday, Beyoncé introduced Harris: "Please springiness a invited to the adjacent president of the United States, Kamala Harris."

Also successful attendance was celebrated people vocalist Willie Nelson, different Texas native, who performed 2 songs; Texas Rep. Colin Allred, who is facing disconnected against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz successful the Texas Senate race; and Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, who has campaigned for Harris successful the past.

Harris, who was interrupted successful the opening of her remarks by evident protesters successful the crowd, focused squarely connected termination rights successful her remarks, calling Texas "ground zero successful the combat for reproductive freedom."

Although Texas seems to beryllium a unusual prime successful the last agelong earlier the predetermination erstwhile some candidates people cardinal battleground states, the run argued it was chosen due to the fact that of the state's restrictive termination ban, which bans termination successful astir each circumstances. It besides allows backstage citizens to writer termination providers and those who assistance patients who are seeking an termination aft astir six weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion remains a rallying contented among Democrats who were capable to stave disconnected a "red wave" during the 2022 midterms by centering their messages astir it. The run claims reproductive state is inactive 1 of the apical issues among undecided voters, and they see Texas to beryllium "ground zero."

The run featured stories from respective women whose lives person been enactment astatine hazard implicit these termination bans. That included Ondrea, a Texas pistillate who archetypal shared her communicative successful a caller Harris run advertisement retired this week. Ondrea was large successful the autumn of 2022, but erstwhile her h2o broke astatine 16 weeks, she was told her girl wouldn't survive. She was not offered indispensable aesculapian attraction -- an abortion, the advertisement says. The advertisement shows the coiled and scars Ondrea says she incurred aft undergoing a six-hour exigency country -- during which doctors chopped her unfastened from her bosom to her pelvis successful bid to prevention her life.

"I person travel guardant truthful radical tin larn from my experience," she told the assemblage during the rally. "Texas termination bans unleashed by Donald Trump person astir outgo maine my life, and near maine with carnal and affectional scars."

Ahead of the rally, Harris said the termination prohibition successful Texas volition beryllium cardinal to the event.

"It is simply a precise important state, and we are present to truly item that, sadly, the elected leaders of Texas, a batch of them person made Texas crushed zero successful this cardinal combat for the state of women to marque decisions astir their ain body. So, contiguous we volition beryllium discussing the interaction of that, not lone to the women and their families, but to radical astir the state due to the fact that of Trump termination bans," she said earlier Friday.

"And I bash judge it is critically important to admit that this is not conscionable a governmental debate, this is not conscionable immoderate theoretical concept. Real harm has occurred successful our country, a existent suffering has occurred. People person died," she added.

Rughly 2 hours away, erstwhile President Trump was besides successful Texas successful Austin earlier Friday, wherever helium spoke connected migration earlier interviewing with influential podcaster Joe Rogan, who has the most-listened-to podcast successful the United States.

Harris volition spell connected to Michigan connected Saturday wherever she volition run with erstwhile archetypal woman Michelle Obama for the archetypal clip aft holding her archetypal associated rally with erstwhile President Barack Obama astatine a get-out-the-vote rally successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Thursday.