This is an adapted excerpt from the July 30 episode of “The Beat.”
Newly released audio of Sen. JD Vance of Ohio has revealed what the vice presidential candidate really thinks about the 2024 Democratic ticket shake-up.
Vance privately told donors Vice President Kamala Harris’ entrance into the race was “a little bit of a political sucker punch”:
“The bad news is that Kamala Harris does not have the same baggage as Joe Biden, because whatever we might have to say, Kamala is a lot younger. And Kamala Harris is obviously not struggling in the same ways that Joe Biden did.”
To say Harris isn’t struggling is an understatement. She is thriving.
To say Harris isn’t struggling is an understatement. She is thriving.
While no one knows who will win in November, Republicans can clearly see Harris’ appeal. That kind of appeal is the reason the party pushed hard at the Republican National Convention to feature anything that might feel somewhat cool or current — from Hulk Hogan to rap videos to Instagram star Amber Rose. Republicans know culture matters to voters.
But now the party now has the oldest nominee ever. While Donald Trump did have a run on television and a presence online before he entered politics, “The Apprentice” debuted 20 years ago. It’s a relic of a reality TV past.
Harris, on the other hand, taps into the now and the future. That much is evident from the soundtrack of her first campaign video, which features a song from a superstar currently on music charts: Beyoncé.
In the song “Freedom,” Beyoncé recounts fighting uphill battles, both personal and political: “Freedom! Where are you? ’Cause I need freedom, too! I break chains all by myself.”
And while the Harris campaign’s song choice does have political appeal, this isn’t just posturing from a candidate. The vice president is a genuine, longtime Beyoncé fan, even attending a show last year in the tour’s official sparkle theme attire.
As a senator, she shouted out Beyoncé’s documentary, “Homecoming,” for how it “celebrates” historically Black colleges.
The feeling seems mutual. In 2020, on the eve of the election, Beyoncé posted a photo on Instagram wearing a Biden-Harris mask — broadcasting her approval of the ticket to over 300 million followers.
Pop culture is a language young people speak fluently. That demographic was crucial to the winning Biden-Harris coalition in 2020. In 2024, the vice president needs their support again.
Most voters oppose fake posturing from politicians, and Harris comes across in this cultural moment honestly. She did even so before there were signs she would top the ticket.
Harris has used her platform as vice president to elevate artists and art forms Washington has long ignored. Last year, she hosted a celebration at her official residence to mark hip-hop’s 50th anniversary. The event featured artists like Lil Wayne and Jeezy. The celebration became something of a national Rorschach test: Do you see energy, optimism and inclusion? Or do you see something else? It’s clear the Republicans want you to see something else. On Tuesday, Trump released his first attack ad on Harris, featuring video of her dancing from that 2023 hip-hop celebration — an attempt to portray the vice president as somehow less serious of a politician. Most voters oppose fake posturing from politicians, and Harris comes across in this cultural moment honestly. But as Republicans continue their attacks on Harris, trying to see what sticks, another star has thrown her support behind the vice president: Beyoncé’s fellow Houstonian Megan Thee Stallion. The rap star is no stranger to political statements. In 2021, she dropped her own anthem about women’s rights. The music video shows a Republican senator, in a MAGA-red tie, going online to hypocritically attack her in misogynistic terms. In the video, Megan confronts him for disrespecting the women who keep things running. On Tuesday, Megan Thee Stallion joined Harris for a rally in Georgia, where the star urged her fans — dubbed “Hotties” — to stand behind the vice president. A “Hot Girl Summer” for Harris, indeed. From Beyoncé to Megan Thee Stallion to Charli XCX, the vice president’s set list of support keeps growing longer and longer by the day. Can the Republican Party and Donald Trump muster anything to match it? Join Ari Melber, Rachel Maddow and many others on Saturday, Sept. 7, in Brooklyn, New York, for “MSNBC Live: Democracy 2024,” a first-of-its-kind live event. You’ll get to see your favorite hosts in person and hear thought-provoking conversations about what matters most in the final weeks of an unprecedented election cycle. Buy tickets here.
Ari Melber
Ari Melber, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, writer and attorney, is the host of “The Beat with Ari Melber” airing nightly at 6 p.m. ET on MSNBC. He also serves as MSNBC’s chief legal correspondent and an NBC News legal analyst. Before joining MSNBC, Melber practiced First Amendment law and served as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. He received a J.D. from Cornell Law School and is a member of the New York Bar.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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