Harris and Beyoncé spark a demonstration in Houston with a double-barreled argument against Trump

HOUSTON (AP) — Kamala Harris and Beyonce sparked a rally in Houston on Friday with a double-barreled argument against Donald Trump, with the superstar telling the Democratic nominee’s largest crowd ever that it was “time to sing a new song” while Harris warned her Republican opponent was determined to further erode women’s rights.

The rally took place in reliably Republican Texas to highlight the growing medical consequences of the state’s strict abortion ban, but the message was intended to reach the political battlegrounds, where Harris hopes the aftereffects of the fall of Roe v. Wade will push voters to support her quest for the presidency.

“To all the men and women in this room and watching across the country, we need you,” Beyoncé said in a rare political appearance. The megastar’s speech was lofty, joyful and optimistic – a reflection of the seriousness of the subject and the message Harris came to deliver.

“I’m here as a mother, a mother who cares deeply about the world that my children and all our children live in,” Beyoncé said. “A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we are not divided.”

Harris came out to loud cheers. She told the crowd that Trump erased a half-century of hard-fought progress when he appointed the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe and created a growing health care crisis.

She listed the downstream effects she sees with various bans. Women who never intended to terminate a pregnancy face devastating complications when they cannot receive care. They have fewer options and fewer medical students are choosing to specialize in women’s health.

“For anyone watching from out of state, if you think you are protected from Trump’s abortion ban because you live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York, California or any other state where voters or lawmakers have protected reproductive freedom, know: no one is protected,” Harris warned. “Because a national ban from Donald Trump will ban abortion in every state.”

“That said, elections are important,” she said.

Trump has been inconsistent in his message to voters abortion and reproductive rightsalthough he has said he would veto a national abortion ban. He has repeatedly changed his position and given vague, contradictory and sometimes nonsensical answers to questions on an issue that a great vulnerability for Republicans in this year’s elections.

Trump was also in Texas on Friday, where he predicted he would break records for the number of people deported from the United States if he wins the election. He recorded a podcast with Joe Rogan before going to a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, where he took the stage three hours late.

Harris was joined at the meeting by women who have nearly died from sepsis and other pregnancy complications because they couldn’t get proper medical care. Some of them have already campaigned for Harris and others have told their moving stories campaign ads to show how the issue has evolved into something much bigger than the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Since abortion was restricted in Texas, so has the state the infant mortality rate has increasedMore babies have died from birth defects and maternal mortality has risen.

The crowd waited for hours, with red, white and blue LED bracelets flashing as “confidence women” and “freedom” flashed on large screens between acts.

“Sometimes they forget about us because we’re a Republican state,” said Rhonda Johnson, who has lived in Houston for 19 years. “But I’m glad she’s here.”

Reproductive rights, the economy and LGBTQ issues were the main reasons for Yannick Djomatchoua in his decision to support Harris and wait in the hours-long line to see her. “It’s very personal,” he said, adding that he knew friends who had to make difficult decisions because of the state’s abortion restrictions.

Harris’ campaign has adopted Beyoncé’s 2016 song “Freedom” as its anthem, and the message echoes the vice president’s emphasis on reproductive freedom. Beyoncé was joined by her mother, Tina Knowles, and her former bandmate Kelly Rowland, who all spoke about Harris’ historic candidacy and a dream of a more united nation.

“Our voices sing a choir of unity,” Beyoncé said. “They’re singing a song about dignity and opportunity – are you all ready?”

Harris was also joined by country legend Willie Nelson, who sang some of his biggest hits, including “On the Road Again.”

“Hey, how are you guys doing?” Nelson, 91, asked the crowd. “Are we ready to say Madam President?”

Fourteen states with strict abortion bans are becoming increasingly common women cannot receive medical care until their condition has become life-threatening. In some states, doctors can be criminally prosecuted if they provide medical care.

Democrats warn that the winnowing of rights and freedoms will only continue if Trump is elected. Republican lawmakers inside States in the US have rejected the Democrats’ proposal. efforts to protect or expand access to contraception, for example.

“In America, freedom should not be given. It may not be donated. It’s ours. From the right. And that includes a woman’s fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body, without the government telling her what to do,” Harris said.

There are indications that the right to abortion could drive women like her to the polls during the 2022 midterm elections. Voters in seven statesincluding some conservative ones, have either protected abortion rights or thwarted efforts to restrict them in statewide ballots over the past two years.

About 6 out of 10 Americans generally believe their state should allow someone to get a legal abortion if he or she does not want to be pregnant for any reason, according to a July poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Democrats also hope that Harris’ visit will give momentum to parliament. Colin Allredwho is attempting to oust the Republican senator from Texas. Ted Cruz. Allred said Friday that if you vote to overturn a woman’s constitutional right, as Cruz did, you should lose your job.

Texas encapsulates the post-Roe landscape. The strict abortion ban prohibits doctors from performing abortions as soon as heart activity is detected, which can happen as early as six weeks or earlier.

As a result, women are receiving increasingly poor medical care. That’s partly because doctors can’t intervene unless a woman is facing a life-threatening condition, or to prevent “substantial impairment of major body functions.”

“The Texas abortion ban enacted by Donald Trump almost cost me my life and left me physically and emotionally scarred,” said Ondrea Cummings, who lost her 16-week baby and nearly died from sepsis when she couldn’t get care quickly enough to get. .

“I never thought I would have this kind of personal experience. If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

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Long reported from Washington.