Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris in joyful speech at Houston rally: 'I'm here as a mother'

HOUSTON -- Beyoncé showed her support for Vice President Kamala Harris at the campaign's rally focused on abortion rights in Houston on Friday.

She was joined by fellow Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland on stage in introducing Harris to the crowd.

"I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother," Beyoncé said.

The popular "Texas Hold 'Em" singer had yet to officially endorse Harris before the event, but the vice president has been using Beyoncé song "Freedom" as her walk-out song since the beginning of her campaign, which is often woven into her messaging.

On Friday, Beyoncé introduced Harris: "Please give a welcome to the next president of the United States, Kamala Harris."

Also in attendance was famous folk singer Willie Nelson, another Texas native, who performed two songs; Texas Rep. Colin Allred, who is facing off against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz in the Texas Senate race; and Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, who has campaigned for Harris in the past.

Harris, who was interrupted in the beginning of her remarks by apparent protesters in the crowd, focused squarely on abortion rights in her remarks, calling Texas "ground zero in the fight for reproductive freedom."

Although Texas seems to be a strange choice in the final stretch before the election when both candidates target key battleground states, the campaign argued it was chosen because of the state's restrictive abortion ban, which bans abortion in almost all circumstances. It also allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and those who assist patients who are seeking an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion remains a rallying issue among Democrats who were able to stave off a "red wave" during the 2022 midterms by centering their messages around it. The campaign claims reproductive freedom is still one of the top issues among undecided voters, and they consider Texas to be "ground zero."

The campaign featured stories from several women whose lives have been put at risk over these abortion bans. That included Ondrea, a Texas woman who first shared her story in a new Harris campaign ad out this week. Ondrea was pregnant in the fall of 2022, but when her water broke at 16 weeks, she was told her daughter wouldn't survive. She was not offered necessary medical care -- an abortion, the ad says. The ad shows the wound and scars Ondrea says she incurred after undergoing a six-hour emergency surgery -- during which doctors cut her open from her breast to her pelvis in order to save her life.

"I have come forward so people can learn from my experience," she told the crowd during the rally. "Texas abortion bans unleashed by Donald Trump have almost cost me my life, and left me with physical and emotional scars."

Ahead of the rally, Harris said the abortion ban in Texas will be central to the event.

"It is a very important state, and we are here to really highlight that, sadly, the elected leaders of Texas, a lot of them have made Texas ground zero in this fundamental fight for the freedom of women to make decisions about their own body. So, tonight we will be discussing the impact of that, not only to the women and their families, but to people around the country because of Trump abortion bans," she said earlier Friday.

"And I do believe it is critically important to acknowledge that this is not just a political debate, this is not just some theoretical concept. Real harm has occurred in our country, a real suffering has occurred. People have died," she added.

Rughly two hours away, former President Trump was also in Texas in Austin earlier Friday, where he spoke on immigration before interviewing with influential podcaster Joe Rogan, who has the most-listened-to podcast in the United States.

Harris will go on to Michigan on Saturday where she will campaign with former first lady Michelle Obama for the first time after holding her first joint rally with former President Barack Obama at a get-out-the-vote rally in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday.