Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama teamed up Thursday for their first joint rally to take on former President Donald Trump and implore Georgians to vote early as Harris kicked off of his “When We Vote We Win” concert series at a stadium outside Atlanta. .
“There’s so much at stake in this election, and it’s not 2016 or 2020,” Harris said. “The stakes are even higher, because over the last few years, and especially over the last eight years, Donald Trump has become more confused, more unstable and angrier. We see it every day. He has become more and more unhinged .”
Harris referenced comments made by Trump’s former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, who gave interviews this week saying the former president once said he wanted generals like those of Adolf Hitler. Trump told reporters in Las Vegas on Thursday that he never made the comments.
Harris said voters have a choice over who to put in the Oval Office.
“It’s either Donald Trump, in there, stewing…his enemies list, or me, working for you, checking off my to-do list,” Harris said. “You have the power to make this decision.”
In his remarks, Obama also referenced harsh criticism of Trump from former military generals, such as Kelly and Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“They’re not, quote, woke liberals,” Obama later said. “These are people who have never spoken about politics in the past because they believe the military should be above politics. But the reason they are speaking out is because they saw that, in Donald Trump’s mind, the military does not exist to serve the Constitution or the American people.”
Obama said of Trump: “He does not view being commander in chief as a solemn and sacred responsibility. Like everything else, he thinks the army exists to do what he wants, to serve his interests. »
Bruce Springsteen, whose music has graced the set lists of many Democratic presidential candidates, performed several of his hits at the concert, while stars with Georgia ties including Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Tyler Perry, took the stage to voice their support for Harris. The Harris campaign said it views these large events as a way to attract large crowds and encourage them to vote and volunteer.
According to the campaign, 23,000 people attended. However, there appear to be some logistical and technical challenges. At one point, hundreds of attendees chanted that they couldn’t see the stage, asking the camera broadcasting the event on large monitors to zoom in. When Harris took the stage, her campaign song “Freedom” by Beyoncé was not played as usual. do. The vice president left without music. Many attendees were also seen walking out during Harris’ speech.
Bruce Springsteen performs on stage as the USC Shoah Foundation hosts the “Ambassadors for Humanity” 30th Anniversary Gala at the New York Hilton on October 13, 2024 in New York.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Harris is next expected to appear Saturday with former first lady Michelle Obama in Michigan, campaign officials said.
The Obamas endorsed Harris in July and both spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August.
Former President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign rally in support of Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris October 22, 2024, in Detroit.
Paul Sancya/AP
Asked about her support of Obama and Springsteen during a speech to reporters in Philadelphia on Thursday, Harris said she was “honored” to have them at her campaign events.
“I am very honored to have the support of former President Obama. As you know, he was on the campaign trail and was truly wonderful and extraordinary in terms of the time and effort he devoted to our campaign, and people like Bruce Springsteen, to have their support, and of course, he’s an American icon,” Harris said. “I think it just shows the breadth and depth of support that we have and the enthusiasm that a lot of people are bringing to the campaign and feeling about our campaign.”
Nearly 2 million Georgians voted early Wednesday, surpassing the first eight days of similar early voting in 2022, 2020 and 2018, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
Georgia is a top target for the Harris campaign, which is seeking to hold on to a state that President Joe Biden won by just 11,779 votes. And it will surely be close again. Former President Donald Trump currently leads Harris in Georgia by 1.5%, according to the polling average of 538 people.
Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event in Waterford, Michigan, October 18, 2024.
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
In the final days of the race, Harris’ team tapped celebrities to help share her message and attract voters during early voting periods across the country. On Saturday, Harris was joined by Lizzo in Detroit and Usher in Atlanta, while on Tuesday, Eminem introduced Obama at a rally in Detroit.
Additionally, megastar Beyoncé is expected to join the vice president at a rally Friday in the singer’s hometown of Houston.
ABC News’ Sarah Beth Hensley contributed to this report.
