Superstar Usher took 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 elect a new generation of leaders for our country,” Usher said.
“We are 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 supports the vice president because “she fights for everyone’s rights, for freedom.”
‘It doesn’t matter where you’re from. “He has a vision for our country that includes everyone,” the 46-year-old continued, maintaining a positive message.
He called it a vision “that supports small businesses, invests in our health and our communities, and gives everyone the opportunity to get ahead.”
Usher rallied support for Vice President Kamala Harris at Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, GA on October 19.
Usher, dressed in a white turtleneck and long coat despite the warm weather, warned Atlanta that they have “work to do” to get the campaign over the finish line.
“We can make a difference in this election in Georgia, but we must commit to doing it,” he said.
His comments come as former President Donald Trump appears to have a slight lead in the swing state and Democrats worry about Harris gaining enough support among black men.
‘We have lived through some very unfortunate realities from our past. However, we must learn from those moments and understand that the voice we have makes a difference in what we want to see,’ said the Atlanta native.
Usher made the stop fresh off his tour that has concert dates this week in Atlanta.
He said the way people vote will affect the lives of their children, grandchildren and the “people we love most” and urged people to vote for a future in which they want their loved ones to “thrive.”
The Grammy-winning artist urged voters to get out and vote, saying “we have the power to change this moment in the present” and said he loves Harris and wants her to be the next president.
Usher taking the stage in Atlanta for Kamala Harris. The singer sang ‘are we ready?’ as the crowd chanted after delivering his remarks. ‘Let’s do this,’ he concluded.
Kamala Harris speaking at her rally in Atlanta as early voting in the state is breaking records. The vice president urged her followers 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 and thanked ‘Err-sher – Usher’ with a smile.
During her remarks, Harris criticized Trump, stating that he is avoiding interviews and another debate due to “exhaustion.”
She also accused him of rambling and said “he calls it weaving,” but she calls it “nonsense.”
The vice president mainly stuck to her speech in which she talks about her economic agenda, but she also criticized the former president for the right to abortion. His approach to the subject received some of the biggest applause of the night from the crowd.
In an emotional moment at the rally, Harris played a video about 28-year-old Amber Thurman of Georgia. Earlier this year, ProPublica reported that Thurman’s death likely could have been prevented if she had access to abortion services in the state.
The video featured Thurman’s mother, who blamed the overturning of Roe v Wade and Trump for her daughter’s death.
The vice president also played a clip of Trump at a recent Fox News town hall in Georgia responding to criticism from Thurman’s family over his appearance in the state earlier this week. The former president joked about getting better ratings.
The crowd at Harris’ rally booed and hissed in response as the clip played.
Thurman’s family was present Saturday night when the vice president promised them that if Congress sends him a bill restoring Roe protections, she would sign it if elected.
Kamala Harris arrives in Atlanta ahead of her October 19 rally
Harris supporters waiting for the vice president and others to deliver remarks in Atlanta on Saturday.
A sign reading “Georgia Vote Early” hangs above supporters at Kamala Harris’ campaign event in Atlanta. Her rally was the vice president’s first visit to the state since in-person early voting began Tuesday.
Crowds of Harris supporters decked out in dazzling Kamala t-shirts, Harris-Walz hats and more lined up outside Lakewood Outdoor Amphitheater in Atlanta for hours to get into the event.
Harris’ campaign estimated 11,000 people attended.
Inside the amphitheater, a huge sign reading “Georgia Early Voters” was on display and two signs reading “Vote” flanked each side of the stage.
The first day of early voting in Georgia broke previous records. More than 310,000 people cast their ballots Tuesday on the first day of in-person early voting in the state.
In the first four days of in-person early voting, more than 1.2 million people voted ahead of the November election.
On Saturday, voters in the state broke another record for the most votes cast on a Saturday for a general election. By mid-afternoon, more than 102,000 people had voted that day.
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 broken records.
In the Atlanta suburbs, DailyMail.com observed a steady stream 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 Tuesday. At her rally, she urged her supporters to vote early, noting that former President Jimmy Carter, 100, voted early for her in the election.
Polls show a very close race at the national and state level. The Real Clear Politics average has Donald Trump up by just over a point in Georgia with just 17 days left until 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.
Harris’ campaign needs to see strong voter turnout in the cities and surrounding suburbs to repeat the Democrats’ 2020 victory.
With that, he is bringing out his campaign heavyweights for the final stretch of the race.
Harris will return to 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 in battleground states in recent weeks.
Singer Lizzo at a Kamala Harris campaign event in Detroit on October 19
Earlier on Saturday, Harris was in Detroit, where he spoke at Western International High School.
Singer Lizzo also made an appearance at the event as Democrats look to attract battleground voters with early in-person voting starting a week from Saturday.
To mark the start of in-person early voting in Michigan, former first lady Michelle Obama will travel to the state for her first campaign event of 2024 next Saturday alongside the vice president.