Beyoncé is set to join presidential candidate Kamala Harris at a rally in Houston on Friday, according to multiple news reports. Her mother, Tina Knowles, who has been a vocal supporter of Harris throughout the year, will also be part of the event.
Although previous rumors of Beyoncé campaigning for Harris, such as during the Democratic convention, proved false and caused quite a stir, this time the reports appear more credible. Reputable sources, including The Washington Post, NBC News, and The New York Times, have all confirmed the appearance, citing anonymous insiders familiar with the planning.
The rally will also feature Texas music legend Willie Nelson, who happens to have made a spoken-word cameo on Beyoncé’s latest album, Cowboy Carter.
In April, Shine My Crown reported that Harris’s popularity was nearly on par with that of Beyoncé. According to the April omnibus survey conducted by Echelon Insight, 43% of voters held a favorable view of Harris, while 45% felt the same about Beyoncé. Despite this near equivalence, the vice president faces twice as much unfavorable opinion, with 52% compared to Beyoncé’s 26%.
Throughout President Biden’s tenure, Harris, the first female, Black American, and Asian-American vice president, has grappled with fluctuating approval ratings. Despite starting with a 48% approval rating, Harris experienced a decline in mid-September 2021, just eight months into office, and her approval has remained below water since then, according to polling averages from FiveThirtyEight. In March, a Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll found only 35% approval for Harris, while a Suffolk University/USAToday survey showed 36% approval, with disapproval ratings at 46% and 52%, respectively.
The latest Echelon poll indicates Harris’s popularity is particularly strong among Black voters, with nearly seven-in-ten viewing her favorably, compared to fewer than half of Hispanic and Asian voters. Among white voters, less than four-in-ten hold favorable views of Harris.