MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A collection of musicians joined Vice President Kamala Harris at a campaign event Wednesday at UW-Madison in an attempt to drum up support from young voters in battleground Wisconsin.
The rally included performances by Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, Aaron Desner, Matt Berninger and Remi Wolf.
Harris has been accompanied by star musical guests at events in other states in recent weeks, from Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland to Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson.
Early on in her speech, Harris was interrupted by a crowd member yelling about the Israel-Hamas war.
“We all want the war in Gaza to end and get the hostages out as soon as possible, and I will do everything in my power to make it heard and known, and everyone has a right to be heard, but right now I am speaking,” Harris told the protestor.
Abortion was a key point in Harris’ remarks. She slammed Trump for his role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“When Donald Trump was president, he hand selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. They did as he intended and now, in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban — many with no exceptions even for rape and incest, which is immoral,” Harris said. “And Donald Trump’s not done. He would ban abortion nationwide, even here in Wisconsin.”
Harris also addressed inflation and the economy, saying bringing down the cost of living will be “at the top” of her priority list as president.
I will give a middle class tax cut to over 100 million Americans. We will enact the first ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries. We will fight to make sure hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live.
Trying to keep the focus on Trump and push past controversial comments made by President Joe Biden, who called Trump supporters “garbage”, Harris encouraged Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other.”
“We know we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump, who has been trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other,” Harris said, stressing unity and common ground.
Former President Donald Trump held a rally at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon Wednesday. He was joined by longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre.
Trump has been in Wisconsin multiple times this month, but this is his first visit to Northeast Wisconsin since he held a rally in Green Bay in April at the KI Convention Center.
As Election Day nears, the hotly-contested swing state of Wisconsin has a jam-packed political calendar. According to the latest Marquette University Law School poll, the presidential race in the Badger State has moved into a statistical dead heat.
On Monday, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz spoke in Manitowoc and Waukesha. Meanwhile, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance delivered remarks in Wausau and Racine.
On Thursday, former President Bill Clinton will be in Oshkosh and Milwaukee campaigning on behalf of the Harris-Walz ticket.
Friday night will then see dueling visits in Milwaukee by Harris and Trump.
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