Democrats are leaning on celebrity star power. Will it matter?

WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Beyoncé. Donald Trump has Kid Rock, Waka Flocka Flame and Hulk Hogan.

As nan 2024 run whirls into its last week, Democrats are noticeably leaning connected their prima powerfulness advantage, calling connected a divers scope of celebrities to endorse Harris, invigorate audiences and, they hope, spur group to nan ballot box.

Democrats person agelong enjoyed a personage advantage and utilized it to adjacent retired statesmanlike campaigns erstwhile attraction and power are critical. That precocious manus has grown during Trump’s rise, a play that saw scores of celebrities, moreover apolitical stars, break their soundlessness and speak retired against nan Republican leader. The advantage often intends raucous, fiery events successful nan closing days of a race, but history — namely Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign — highlights really nan power astatine those events tin sometimes insubstantial complete broader issues pinch a candidate.

Weeks earlier nan predetermination connected Oct. 20, Harris sewage an assistance from euphony fable Stevie Wonder successful Jonesboro, Georgia, who rallied churchgoers pinch a rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Days later successful Atlanta, Harris and erstwhile President Barack Obama headlined a rally that featured a capacity by Springsteen and speeches from famed filmmaker Spike Lee and character Samuel L. Jackson. The run followed that up a time later pinch a rally successful Texas featuring a capacity by Willie Nelson and a reside from Beyonce.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ moving mate, has besides benefited from nan personage push. Singer-songwriter James Taylor performed astatine events pinch nan politician successful North Carolina earlier successful nan month. And Walz, on pinch Harris, said astatine an arena successful Michigan connected Monday that included a five-song group from singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.

“I travel for Harris," said Ashley Oberheide, a vicinity resident who attended nan outdoor Harris rally held successful Ann Arbor’s Burns Park. "I emotion that philharmonic acts are getting down her, but I americium ever present for Harris." She called Rogers an “added bonus.”

Audrey Hudson, a University of Michigan nursing student who voted for nan first clip days earlier nan rally, described her attendance arsenic “doing a civic work mixed pinch seeing an creator I love.”

“I’m present to support Kamala and Walz arsenic good but Maggie Rogers, I person loved her euphony since I was successful mediate school. She’s had a immense effect connected me," said Hudson, who added that she thinks artists for illustration Rogers are much relatable to young voters and tin effect really they vote.

Ann Arbor resident Rachel Lieberman, 29, shared that nan rally successful her hometown was her 3rd Harris arena and that Rogers was a “cherry connected top” she believes will thief thrust retired nan younker vote.

“I deliberation it’s each portion of getting nan younger generations mobilized to vote,” Lieberman said.

Harris and Democrats aren’t conscionable leaning connected performances astatine events, either. After Tony Hinchcliffe, a comedian who said astatine Trump’s rally astatine Madison Square Garden connected Sunday, called Puerto Rico “a floating land of garbage successful nan mediate of nan ocean,” nan Democrat’s run received nationalist support from rapper Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and creator Ricky Martin, 3 of nan champion known Puerto Rican celebrities. The 3 person complete 300 cardinal followers mixed connected different societal media platforms.

Many of nan events are portion of Harris’ “When We Vote We Win” performance bid that intends to spur supporters to ballot early successful cardinal battlegrounds. And she is expected to person much high-profile endorsers successful nan coming days.

When she campaigns successful Wisconsin connected Wednesday, her rally successful Madison will characteristic performances from Gracie Abrams, Mumford & Sons, Remi Wolf and The National’s Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner. On Thursday, her rally successful Arizona will person Los Tigres del Norte, a famed norteño set primitively from Sinaloa, Mexico. And finally, connected Friday, Harris will header a rally successful Las Vegas featuring Maná, a Mexican popular stone set primitively from Guadalajara, Mexico, and a reside from Lopez.

The 2020 run was a personage outlier. Because of nan ongoing coronavirus pandemic, ample run events were uncommon, particularly connected nan Democratic side. Celebrities appeared successful societal media videos for then-former Vice President Joe Biden, who went connected to conclusion Trump.

Trump does bask nan support of celebrities pinch a heavy entreaty to his halfway guidelines of voters, for illustration vocalist Lee Greenwood, tv characteristic Dr. Phil McGraw and erstwhile shot stars for illustration Brett Favre, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Country vocalist Jason Aldean precocious spoke astatine a Trump rally successful Georgia and Nick Bosa, a prima protect lineman for nan San Francisco 49ers, precocious jumped into a teammate's post-game question and reply to show a MAGA hat.

But nan Republican campaigner mostly doesn't person an reply for Harris’ celebrity-infused events. Trump, whose profession has turned him into a celebrity, often provides nan prima powerfulness astatine his events. And erstwhile a personage for illustration Hinchcliffe makes headlines astatine a Trump event, it tin origin problems for nan Republican campaign.

The attraction connected personage events is typified by raucous events successful arenas and often leaves Democrats upbeat and hopeful astir their chances. But nan strategy tin besides overgarment complete issues: When crowds are juiced by celebrities and philharmonic performances, problems pinch a candidate’s connection aliases clasp connected an important guidelines of voters tin beryllium obscured, a inclination that was highlighted by erstwhile Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s grounded 2016 run.

The last week of Clinton’s run 8 years agone was a veritable reddish carpet of philharmonic icons and celebrities. Her last rally arsenic a candidate, a feverish arena successful North Carolina, was headlined by Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga. Her last arena pinch erstwhile President Barack Obama culminated successful a capacity by Springsteen connected Independence Mall successful Philadelphia. She capped her run successful Ohio pinch a capacity from Jay Z and Beyonce successful Cleveland. And conscionable days earlier she filled Bayfront Park Amphitheater successful downtown Miami, Florida with an eye-popping capacity by Lopez.

“We conscionable heard Jennifer execute ‘Let’s Get Loud.’ Well, I say, ‘Let’s Get Loud’ astatine nan voting booth. You tin ballot early. Don’t hold different time to vote, ” Clinton exclaimed.

The Clinton run near each respective battleground authorities invigorated that nan power they felt astatine nan arena could transportation them to victory.

Days later, Clinton mislaid North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida, and then-businessman Trump was elected president.

___

Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder successful Ann Arbor, Michigan, contributed to this report.