CNN —
Beyoncé is scheduled to appear alongside Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston on Friday, a person familiar with the plans told CNN, with the national anthem as the soundtrack to Harris’ campaign. This will be the first collaboration with the music world icon.
The appearance, featuring Beyoncé alongside Willie Nelson, is designed to be one of the campaign’s biggest closing acts. From the moment Harris emerged as the top Democratic candidate, the vice president’s team has been negotiating behind the scenes for a joint appearance leading up to Election Day.
Beyoncé’s team did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. Her upcoming appearance was first reported by The Washington Post.
CNN first reported in July that Beyoncé all but announced her support for Harris several months ago, giving her permission to use her song “Freedom” as her official campaign anthem. Beyoncé, known for maintaining strict permission guidelines for her music, immediately approved the Harris campaign’s use of the national anthem, making it the backdrop for Harris’ ads and when she appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention. are. Two days after launching her presidential campaign, Harris made her first official visit to her campaign headquarters, making her first appearance at Freedom.
At one point, rumors that Beyoncé would attend the Democratic convention threatened to overtake Harris’ acceptance speech. Campaign officials insist there was never a plan for Beyoncé to join Harris in Chicago, even if the signals were momentarily contradictory.
Fans may be wondering whether Taylor Swift, who endorsed Harris in September, will join her in suspending her campaign in the final stages leading up to the election.
“Wouldn’t that be great?” one campaign official said of Swift’s appearance, declining to answer questions.
Of course, that wouldn’t happen with Beyoncé in Houston. Swift is scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday night for the final show of her “Ellas” tour.
Friday will be Beyoncé’s first public rally with Harris, but the superstar has a history of supporting Democratic candidates.
In 2013, she sang the national anthem at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. In 2016, Beyoncé and her husband Jay-Z headlined Hillary Clinton’s pre-election concert in Cleveland, Ohio, where she and her backup dancers wore blue pantsuits to become the first female president. He praised Hillary Clinton for her potential.
“I want my daughter to grow up seeing a woman leading her country and knowing that her potential is limitless,” Beyoncé said at the time. “And that’s why I’m with her.”
In 2020, Beyoncé endorsed the Biden-Harris race and encouraged her followers to vote in an Instagram post.
A campaign official earlier told CNN that Harris was trying to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump on abortion rights in Houston on the controversial issue ahead of Election Day. , is expected to address this issue.
In his remarks, the vice president is expected to warn of the threat a second term of President Trump poses to women’s reproductive freedom. Harris also plans to hold the former president accountable for extreme abortion bans, including in Texas, following the Roe v. Wade reversal. She will be joined by women affected by the restrictive laws.
Democratic Senate candidate Colin Allred will join Harris in Houston as part of a vote-getting effort to oust incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. While in Texas, Harris will also do an interview with popular podcaster Brené Brown as she continues to engage in media efforts to educate voters about the current situation.
