Kamala Harris ‘needs’ star power to ‘gain momentum,’ media director says: ‘Nobody wants to come see her’
Vice President Kamala Harris has raked in numerous celebrity endorsements from Taylor Swift to Eminem to Usher, but some critics are calling out the campaign for relying heavily on star power.
“I think Kamala Harris is using all these celebrities because nobody wants to come see her,” Trump 2024 Black media affairs director Janiyah Thomas said Friday on “The Faulkner Focus.”
“I don’t think people want to pack out an arena for her. They’re coming to see these celebrities. They want to see a Megan Thee Stallion concert. They want to see Usher on stage. I think she needs this celebrity impact to gain momentum and gain more excitement around her.”
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Harris will head to Texas on Friday when she will hold a rally spotlighting the state’s abortion laws following the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. The Associated Press reported Thursday morning that Harris will be joined by Beyoncé, citing three people familiar with the event.
Beyoncé, who is from Houston, has not yet endorsed Harris for president, but her song “Freedom” has become a hallmark of Harris’ rallies, including using it as Harris’ walk-up song before she addresses supporters.
Harris also teamed up with arguably the most popular Democratic Party politician, former President Obama, during a campaign rally Thursday in Georgia.
Obama has faced scrutiny for his campaign efforts, namely his comments toward Black men who are waning in support for Harris.
“The pandering is disgusting,” Thomas said regarding Obama’s campaign appearances. “I don’t think that he’s in any place to come from his Martha’s Vineyard estate to come talk to people and say how they should think and how they should vote. It’s very out of touch.”
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen, whom Harris called an “American icon” and who has been supporting Democratic presidential candidates for two decades, performed three songs at Thursday evening’s rally.
Also speaking were actor, filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, film director, producer, screenwriter and actor Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.
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Trump campaign rapid response director Jake Schneider, reacting to the star-studded event, charged that “relying on celebrities is nothing new for the party of Hollywood elites.”
The former president has acquired a number of his own celebrity endorsements, like country music star Jason Aldean. He also enjoys the backing of other celebrities, including Telsa founder and multibillionaire Elon Musk, hip-hop star, rapper and fashion designer Kanye West, singer Kid Rock, actors Jon Voight and Kelsey Grammar, former NFL star quarterback Brett Favre, former Indy racer Danica Patrick, and celebrity chef Paula Deen.
Despite the Hollywood fanfare of the campaign, Harris is struggling to retain a key voting bloc typically held by the Democratic Party – Black Americans.
“I think [Harris’] experience is a delusional world. I think she’s not willing to face the facts that they’re losing their main voting bloc. They’re losing black people. They’re losing Latino people. They’re losing suburban women. You know, I think she’s just not really wanting to face the reality that these people are looking towards President Trump because his policies benefit these communities more,” Thomas said.
Harris has fallen back in support among Latino and Black voters in the seven weeks between surveys. A recent USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found Latino voters now back Trump by 49% to 38%. Black voters prefer Harris by 72% to 17%, but that 55-point edge is significantly less than the advantage Democrats traditionally enjoy.
Observing the shift in Democrats’ traditional edge, the Harris campaign has ramped up efforts to appeal to those key voting blocs.
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Fox News’ Emma Colton, Danielle Wallace and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
