Usher rallies support for Kamala Harris in Georgia saying they can ‘make a difference’ as state sees razor-thin race

Superstar Usher danced onto 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 leadership 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 performer said at halftime that he supports the vice president because “she fights for everyone’s rights, for freedom.”

‘It doesn’t matter where you come from. She has a vision for our country that includes everyone,” the 46-year-old continued, sticking to a positive message.

He called it a vision “that supports small businesses, invests in our health and our communities and gives everyone a chance to get ahead.”

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 across the finish line.

“We can make a difference in Georgia’s elections, but we must commit to doing so,” 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 experienced 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,” the Atlanta native said.

Usher made the stop just after his tour, which has concert dates in Atlanta this week.

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 where they want their loved ones to “thrive” ‘.

Harris spoke moments later after being introduced by an 18-year-old first-time voter, where she laughed and thanked “Err-sher – Usher.”

During her remarks, Harris blasted Trump, claiming he is avoiding interviews and another debate because of “exhaustion.”

She also accused him of blabbing, saying ‘he calls it the weave’ but she calls it ‘nonsense’.

The vice president largely stuck to her stump speech about her economic agenda, but she also lambasted the ex-president over abortion rights. Her focus on the issue received some of the biggest applause lines of the night from the audience.

In an emotional moment during the meeting, 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 had she had access to abortion care in the state.

The video showed Thurman’s mother blaming the overturning of Roe v Wade and Trump for her daughter’s death.

The vice president also played a segment of Trump at a recent Fox News town hall in Georgia, in response to Thurman’s family criticizing 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 sent her a bill restoring Roe’s protections, she would sign it if elected.

Crowds of Harris supporters, decked out in dazzling Kamala T-shirts, Harris-Walz hats and more, lined up for hours outside Atlanta’s Lakewood Amphitheater to take part in the event.

The Harris campaign estimated that 11,000 people attended.

Inside the amphitheater, a huge “Georgia Voters Early” sign was on full display, while two “Vote” signs flanked either side of the stage.

The first day of early voting in Georgia shattered previous records. More than 310,000 people cast ballots Tuesday on the first day of early in-person voting in the state.

In the first four days of early in-person voting, more than 1.2 million people cast ballots ahead of the November election.

On Saturday, voters in the state broke another record with the most votes cast on Saturday for a general election. By mid-afternoon, more than 102,000 people had cast their votes that day.

In the Atlanta suburbs, DailyMail.com saw a steady stream of people showing up to cast their votes throughout the day. Voters praised the 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. During her rally, she urged supporters to vote early, noting that former President Jimmy Carter voted for her early in the election at age 100.

Polls show a razor-thin race both nationally and in the state. According to the Real Clear Politics average, Donald Trump is up just over one point in Georgia with just 17 days to go before 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.

The Harris campaign needs strong turnout from voters in the cities and surrounding suburbs to repeat Democrats’ 2020 victory.

In doing so, it brings its heavy hitters from the campaign forward for the final part of the race.

Harris will be back in Atlanta on Thursday, holding her first in-person campaign event alongside President Obama, who has held solo campaign events for the vice president in several battleground states in recent weeks.

Earlier in the day on Saturday, Harris was in Detroit, where she spoke at Western International High School.

Singer Lizzo also attended the event, as Democrats look to challenge battleground voters with early in-person voting, starting a week from Saturday.

To mark the start of early in-person voting in Michigan, former First Lady Michelle Obama will join the vice president in the state next Saturday for her first campaign event of 2024.