Kamala Harris and Beyoncé kicked off a rally in Houston on Friday with a double-edged argument against Donald Trump, with the superstar telling the Democratic nominee’s largest crowd ever that it’s “time to sing a new song” while Harris warned that her GOP opponent is ready for further erosion. women’s rights.

The rally was held in Republican Texas to highlight the growing medical consequences of the state’s strict abortion ban, but the message was meant to register in the political battleground states, where Harris hopes the side effects from the fall of Roe v. Wade will spur voters to turn out to support his bid 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, cheerful and upbeat – a temper for the seriousness of the subject and the message Harris was there 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 are free to control our bodies, a world where we are not. divided.”

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

She listed the downstream effects she sees from various bans. Women who never intended to end a pregnancy suffer 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 another state, if you think you are protected by Trump’s abortion bans because you live in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New York, California, or any state where voters or legislators have protected reproductive freedom, please know: No one is protected,” Harris warned. “Because Donald Trump’s national ban will ban abortion in every state.”

“All that to say, elections matter,” she said.

Trump has been inconsistent in his message to voters abortion and reproductive rightsalthough he said he would veto the national abortion ban. He has repeatedly changed his stance and given vague, contradictory and sometimes nonsensical answers to questions about an issue that has become a major 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 heading to a rally in Traverse City, Michigan, where he took the stage three hours late.

Harris was joined at the rally by women who nearly died from sepsis and other pregnancy complications because they were unable to get proper medical care. Some of them have already campaigned for Harris, and others have told their harrowing stories campaign ads that want to run how the issue has morphed into something much bigger than the right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Since abortion was restricted in Texas, the state the infant mortality rate has increasedmore babies died from birth defects and maternal mortality increased.

The crowd waited for hours, wearing flashing red, white and blue LED wristbands as “confident women” and “freedom” flashed on the big 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 he’s here.”

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

Harris’ campaign has taken Beyoncé’s 2016 song “Freedom” as its anthem, and the message fits with 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 the dream of a more united nation.

“Our voices sing a chorus of unity,” Beyoncé said. “They sing a song of dignity and opportunity – are you ready?”

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

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

Increasingly, in 14 states with strict abortion bans, women cannot receive medical care until their condition becomes life-threatening. In some states, doctors they can face criminal charges if they provide medical care.

Democrats warn that an awareness of rights and freedoms will only continue if Trump is elected. Republican lawmakers in US states rejected Democrats efforts to protect or expand access to birth control, for example.

“In America, freedom is not to be taken for granted. Not to be given away. It’s ours. Of course. And that includes a woman’s fundamental freedom to make decisions about her own body and not have the government tell her what to do,” Harris said.

There is some evidence to suggest that abortion rights can drive women to the polls, as it did during the 2022 midterm elections. voters in seven statesincluding some conservatives, have either protected abortion rights or defeated attempts to restrict them in statewide ballots over the past two years.

About 6 in 10 Americans generally think their state should allow a person to get a legal abortion if they don’t want to get pregnant for any reason, according to a July poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Democrats also hope Harris’ visit will give the representative a boost. Colin Allredwho is making a long shot to unseat the Texas Republican senator. Ted Cruz. Allred said Friday that if you vote to take away a woman’s constitutional right, as Cruz did, then you should lose your job.

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

As a result, women increasingly suffer from poorer medical care. That’s in part because doctors can’t intervene unless a woman is dealing with a life-threatening condition or to prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function.”

“The Texas abortion bans unleashed by Donald Trump almost cost me my life and left me physically and emotionally scarred,” said Ondrea Cummings, who lost her baby at 16 weeks and nearly died of sepsis when he couldn’t get care fast enough. .

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