These two US Presidential rallies could not feel further apart
With the US Presidential Election only one week away (huge), candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have entered the final stretch of their respective campaigns.
Both parties held notable rallies during the last few days, with Kamala in Houston, Texas, and Trump in Manhattan, New York (likely a strategic push given each state predominately leans towards each other’s political party).
The tone of both events could not be in more stark contrast.
Let’s start with Kamala’s rally, which centred around reproductive freedom – a particularly pertinent topic given Texas’ abortion ban.
The lineup of speakers included Texas/pop culture royalty Beyoncé (again, huge) and Willie Nelson, Democratic congressman Colin Allred, OB-GYN Dr Todd Ivey, and platformed couples, families and young women directly affected their state’s medical system.
The biggest drawcard of the night was obviously Beyoncé. She was rumoured months ago to appear at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and while she didn’t make an appearance, it felt all the more fitting to have the megastar support Kamala in her hometown of Houston.
Introduced by mother Tina Knowles and accompanied by Destiny’s Child alum Kelly Rowland, Beyoncé took to the microphone to deliver an impassioned speech. “I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. 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. A world where we’re not divided,” she told the 30,000 attendees (and the world watching on).
Prior to this, Dr Todd Ivey took to the stage, accompanied by a team of fellow medical professionals, and spoke about the changing nature of the healthcare system since Texas implemented its abortion ban. “When Donald Trump’s Supreme Court Justices overturned Roe v. Wade and unleashed the extreme abortion bans across our country, I could not believe what was happening. I could not believe that basic essential medical care would be criminalised, yet here we are,” he shared. “These laws are designed to handcuff me – literally.” He also highlighted the rise of the state’s infant mortality since the ban was instituted.
Kamala closed the night by emphatically urging voters to use their voices and consider the gravity of what this election represents. “Freedom is not to be given. It is not to be bestowed. It is ours by right and we are prepared to fight for it because we understand the stakes,” she told the crowd.
“Reproductive freedom is on the ballot in this Presidential election… and with the work of everyone here, freedom will win.”
Okay, now let’s dive into Trump’s most recent rally, shall we?
Held at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, Trump’s guests were a mix of conservative white men who shared his crass demeanour and uncanny ability to offend.
Let’s start with Grant Cardone, the conservative influencer who said Kamala’s “pimp handlers will destroy [the] country” before flipping off the camera. Then there was media personality Tucker Carlson, who joked Kamala would become “the first Samoan Malaysian low IQ, former California prosecutor ever to be elected president” (Kamala is of Indian and Jamaican descent). Oh and don’t forget David Rem, a Republican mayoral candidate who referred to Kamala as “the Antichrist,” or radio host Sid Rosenberg who referred to Hillary Clinton as “a sick son of a bitch.”
Easily the most abhorrent guest though was comedian (italics because it feels alleged), Tony Hinchcliffe, who may have single-handedly isolated Trump’s Latin-American support base.
“There’s a lot going on. I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico,” he joked, and I use that term generously.
“These Latinos, they love making babies, too. Just know that they do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” he continued.
Tony’s remarks have caused such a stir, that Trump’s senior adviser Danielle Alvarez had to release a statement regarding the Puerto Rico comments, noting “This joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.”
Kamala’s Vice President running mate, Tim Walz spoke with congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez via a livestream after Trump’s rally, dissecting Tony’s comments. “Who is that jack-wad? Who is that guy?” Walz asked Alexandria. “People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay tax and they serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else.”
Trump’s Vice President running mate JD Vance, on the other hand, told NBC that Americans need to “stop getting so offended,” adding, “A comedian told a joke, and I don’t think that’s news worth making.”
Back to the rally. Trump closed the evening by “calling for the death penalty for any migrant that kills an American citizen or law enforcement officer,” calling the US “an occupied country” and promising that he will “launch the largest deportation program in American history that will get the criminals out.”
Politics is complicated. Politicians are nuanced. The personalities of political figures aren’t representative of the political party as a whole. I know all this, logically. But when you have an election pitting a woman like Kamala Harris against a man like Donald Trump, you consider the company they keep, the values they stand for, the policies they push, it is so hard to not perceive this election as good v. evil.
But I know that’s my own perception, with my own biases as a left-leaning woman at play. What scares me so much is how close this race has been, what a Trump victory will result in, what a Trump loss might result in (January 6th, anyone?), and how, as a woman, to navigate a world in which one of the most powerful countries could very easily discard an intelligent, compassionate, inspiring female leader for a man who grabs ‘em by the pussy. Again.
The US Presidential Election will be held on Tuesday November 5th, and with the polls almost neck and neck, I will continue to hold my breath and keep quietly hoping that freedom will win.
Written by Lil Friedmann. You can follow her at @lilfriedmann on socials.
Image credit: @kamaharris Instagram + Punkee