Harris attacks Trump at abortion rights rally in deep-red Texas
HOUSTON - Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Texas for a boisterous rally Friday night where she ripped into former president Donald Trump over his opposition to abortion rights, seizing on an issue that has boosted Democratic victories in recent elections.
Harris, who was joined by pop superstar Beyoncé, focused on the state’s restrictive abortion laws to warn voters that as president, Trump would seek to end abortion across the country.
“The impact of Trump abortion bans has been devastating,” she said. “We see the horrific reality that women face every single day. … The stories are vivid. They are difficult to hear, and they are difficult to tell.”
Beyoncé did not perform at the rally, but she officially endorsed Harris in brief four-minute remarks. The pop star has long supported Democratic candidates and causes but has only sparingly made appearances on their behalf. Harris aides were eager to find a way for Harris to appear with Beyoncé, who subtly signaled her support for Harris’ candidacy by giving permission to the campaign to use her song, “Freedom,” as Harris’ walkout song in the summer.
“I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé told the crowd. “A mother who cares deeply about the world my children, and all of our children, live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies.”
She added, “It’s time for America to sing a new song.”
The Harris campaign’s decision to hold a rally in deep-red Texas was unorthodox, given that the vice president has little chance of winning the state, but the Harris team had been looking for ways to make a splash beyond simply taking another trip to a battleground. And in doing so, they drew their biggest crowd of the cycle - roughly 30,000 people, officials said.
Harris’ appearance was also a way to elevate the issue of abortion rights in unfriendly territory. Texas was the first state to adopt a “heartbeat bill” outlawing abortions as early as six weeks, and it has become a symbol of hard-hitting antiabortion activism.
“Texas, you are ground zero in the fight for reproductive freedom,” Harris told the crowd.
Coming to this state was also a way to make the case even to voters in states with strong abortion protections that their rights are at risk.
“No one is protected if there is a Trump abortion ban, and it will outlaw abortion in every single state,” Harris said.
Trump, after initially declining to commit, has said he would veto a national abortion ban if Congress passes one. But the Harris campaign argues that he cannot be trusted on the issue since he elevated the Supreme Court justices who bolstered the majority that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and has often bragged about it.
Harris also criticized Ken Paxton, Texas’ Republican attorney general, for his recent lawsuit against a federal rule that shields the medical records of women who cross state lines to seek an abortion.
“On the one hand, Donald Trump won’t let anyone see his medical records … and on the other hand, they want to get their hands on yours.” Harris said. “Simply put, they are out of their minds.”
The enthusiastic crowd, in a city that rarely draws rallies by presidential candidates, repeatedly roared its approval. Some had arrived in the morning to begin lining up even though the rally began about 7:30 p.m., waiting hours in the hot Houston sun.
Gilbert Perryman, 39, drove from Dallas to attend the rally and arrived at 10 a.m., earning a spot close to the stage. He said he planned to attend even before he found out Beyoncé would appear, calling her presence “an extra bonus.”
“It’s been amazing vibes,” he said. “It’s a lifetime experience.” Perryman said he plans to vote early for Harris next week.
The rally also sought to showcase the drama of ordinary people affected by Texas’ abortion law, which bans abortions as early as six weeks of pregnancy. R. Todd Ivey, an OB/GYN from Houston, denounced Texas law for threatening physicians with prison time if they perform abortions.
“These laws are designed to handcuff me - literally,” Ivey said, wearing his white coat. He added, “I was shocked when Roe was overturned, but I’ve been more shocked to hear Donald Trump brag about it. … Let me clear about one thing: There is no place for Donald Trump in my exam room.”
A young couple, Amanda and Josh Zurawski, spoke of their recent trauma after Amanda became pregnant with a girl they had long wanted. When complications developed, they said, Amanda had to wait until she was in jeopardy of losing her life before she fell under an exception allowing her to have an abortion.
“I was finally close enough to death to deserve treatment in Texas,” she said. “It was in that dark and lonely hospital room that I realized I was actually lucky - I lived. Others did not.”
Democrats also hoped the rally would give a boost to Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who is mounting an underdog campaign to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
In his remarks, Allred thanked Harris for coming to the state to spotlight the challenges facing Texas, but spent the rest of his speech roasting his opponent, prompting audience chants of “Beat Ted Cruz.” He assailed the senator for trying to overturn the 2020 election, fleeing to Mexico during a winter storm and supporting efforts to restrict abortion. He debuted a new attack line, saying Cruz was “too small for Texas.”
On Friday, it emerged that a secretive new super PAC is spending at least $20 million to help Trump in the campaign’s final days, including by defending him on abortion. A group with the same name, RBG PAC, has posted two ads on YouTube emphasizing Trump’s promise that he would veto a national abortion ban.
The Houston rally was the most dramatic event so far in Harris’ effort to renew her emphasis on reproductive freedom as polls continue to show the two candidates tied in every swing state. Trump, meanwhile, is doubling down on immigration, an area where he enjoys a clear polling edge over Harris.
Trump made his own stop in Texas on Friday, briefly visiting Austin where he reprised harsh language on immigration he had used in Arizona a day earlier.
“We’re like a garbage can for the rest of the world to dump the people that they don’t want,” Trump said. “Do you know what [other countries] save on that? Their mental institutions are being emptied out. Their jails and prisons are being emptied out.”
He also sought to counterprogram Harris’ visit.
“She doesn’t want to go to a swing state because she’s losing so badly in those states. So she decided to come to Texas,” Trump opined. He added, “She picked the wrong place. … Today Kamala is here in Texas to rub shoulders with woke celebrities.”
Harris later criticized the “garbage can” comment, telling reporters that it was “just another example of how he really belittles our country.”
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Video: Vice president Kamala Harris held a star-studded rally with Beyoncé, Jessica Alba and Willie Nelson, as well as Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) in Houston on Oct. 25.(c) 2024 , The Washington Post
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