Kamala Harris rallies with Beyoncé and Willie Nelson in Texas

HOUSTON — In a star-studded evening before an electrified crowd of tens of thousands of supporters, Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday implored women and men to cast their ballots on Nov. 5 in defense of their freedoms and as a rejection to former President Donald Trump’s policies.  

“Texas, what we’re experiencing here is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of it,” Harris said. 

“We know freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right, and we are prepared to fight for it,” she added. “We must be loud. We must organize. We must mobilize. We must energize.”

The largest event that Harris has held during her abbreviated run for president featured cameos from Houston native Beyoncè Knowles-Carter and Texas legend Willie Nelson.  

Beyoncé sent the stadium into a frenzy when she took the stage with Kelly Rowland, who was in the group Destiny's Child with her. The superstar, whose song “Freedom” has served as an anthem to Harris’ campaign, did not perform. She said she there not as an entertainer or a politician but as a mother. 

“Imagine our daughters growing up, seeing what’s possible, with no ceilings, no limitations,” she said, adding that she wanted a world where “my children and all of our children, we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.”

“It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a chorus of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song?” she said to cheers before introducing Harris to the stage. 

With just 11 days left in the race and Democrats and Republicans competing to break through to voters, Harris’ team saw the Friday rally as a way to capture the attention of voters across the country. 

At the same time, the vice president used the event to underscore what she said is the serious choice for Americans at the ballot box, and that included sending former President Donald Trump a message for pushing through Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade. Choosing the red state of Texas as the stage for the event was meant to highlight that it has some of the most stringent laws restricting abortion in the nation. 

The evening was partly somber, focusing heavily on the subject of reproductive rights and first-person stories about how restrictive laws nearly caused women’s deaths — or had caused them. At one point taking the stage was a large group of doctors wearing white medical coats who said they were on the front lines of reproductive care.

They said women’s health was at stake and urged the crowd to vote. In between speakers, clips were played of Trump taking credit for the fall of Roe, which elicited boos. 

Harris’ team believes that the focus on reproductive rights also speaks to men, citing a campaign ad that tested well with men.

On Friday, Harris specifically called out men, saying they didn’t want to see their daughters or wives’ lives put at risk because of limited health care choices. 

“I see the men here and I thank you!” Harris said. “The men of America don’t want this.” 

Harris at one point noted that Trump has refused to disclose his medical records but some places like Texas, after Roe was overturned, wanted to enact requirements that women must report if they have an abortion or miscarriage. 

“Simply put, they are out of their minds!” Harris said. 

Part of the night was meant to shine a light on Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who is in a tight race against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. 

Chants of “Beat Ted Cruz! Beat Ted Cruz!” erupted after the congressman asked the crowd for their vote. 

“Everything is big in Texas, but Ted Cruz is too small for Texas,” he said to another crowd eruption. 

The tens of thousands streamed into the arena for hours and transformed the venue into a massive dance party, moving along to a DJ. The campaign estimated that roughly 30,000 people showed up. 

In the crowd, Vicki Lewis was wearing a red, white and blue shirt that read “Vote” in large letters. Lewis said her message to other voters was to vote early.

“You have no right to be on the fence. You should already know. You should vote for who represents you and your future,” said Lewis, who already voted for Harris. She cited health care, reproductive rights and concern about her retirement. “I need somebody who is going to fight for me and represent me.”

She took issue with Trump bashing Harris and calling her “dumb.” 

“She has a resume. He needs to look at her resume,” she said. “He’s the one who’s unqualified. She serves the people. She is a people person and he doesn’t. It’s all about him and his cronies.”

Austin Valdezstapp said he turned out specifically to give a boost to women. 

“It’s a large reason I’m here is to support women, and make sure that the things and the rights that they’re supposed to have continue to be put in place, and I think those are in threat here in Texas right now so it’s vital,” Valdezstapp said.

Another attendee, Michael White,, said he had grown tired of the outrageous things Trump says and does.

“Some of the stuff he gets away with — if I said what he said, if Obama said what he said, if Harris did — do you think we’d get away with it?” White said, saying it specifically bothered him that Trump was “disrespectful to women.” 

CORRECTION (Oct. 26, 2024, 11:13 a.m.): A previous version of this article misstated who appeared onstage with Beyoncé. It was Kelly Rowland, whom Beyoncé referred to as her sister, not her actual sister.