Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen, Spike Lee and Samuel L Jackson rally for ‘strength’ in Georgia

The Harris campaign is pulling out all the stops to secure votes in the final weeks of the race to the White House.

Thousands of people have gathered to hear Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the battleground state of Georgia for a star-studded rally with rock legend Bruce Springsteen and former President Barack Obama.

Ahead of Ms Harris’ remarks on Thursday, film director Spike Lee warned a packed crowd at the James R Hallford Stadium not to be “bamboozled” into voting for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Springsteen performed melancholy laments The Promised Land, and Land Of Hope And Dreams.

“Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant. He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said, as he encouraged the crowd to vote for Ms Harris.

About 20,000 people were attending, her campaign said, which would make it her largest political rally yet, besting the 17,000 Harris drew in Greensboro, North Carolina in early September.

Barack Obama explains what this election is about

Mr Obama took to the stage, warning Americans there is “no evidence that this man (Mr Trump) thinks about anyone but himself”.

“Donald Trump is a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems since he rode down that golden escalator nine years ago,” he said.

Mr Obama spent a considerable amount of time talking down Mr Trump, warning Americans not to allow him to hold power again. before giving a stirring introduction to Ms Harris.

“Real strength is about working hard and taking responsibility and telling the truth even when it’s inconvenient,” Mr Obama said.

“Real strength about helping people who need it and standing up for those who can’t always stand up for themselves.

“That’s what we should want in our daughters and our sons. That’s what I want to see in the president of the United States of America.

“The good news is, we’ve got a candidate to vote for in the election who demonstrates that kind of character.

“Who knows what real strength looks like, who will set a good example and do the right thing and leave this country better than she found it.

“That’s what this election is about.

“That’s why it’s my honour to introduce my friend, the next president of the United States of America, Vice President Kamala Harris.”

Kamala Harris pitches for the presidency

Ms Harris took to the stage to rapturous applause and cheers from the 20,000-strong crown.

The vice president said: “Make no mistake, we will win.”

Ms Harris spoke about her small business plan, her commitment to reproductive rights, and taxes imploring Americans to vote for her and not Mr Trump.

The speech did not present new pitches, instead repeating plans she has often repeated.

She warned the consequences of Mr Trump being voted in would be “brutally serious”.

“So much is on the line in this election. This is not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are even higher

“In the last eight years, Donald Trump has become more confused, more unstable and more angry.

“He has become increasingly unhinged.

“Last time, at least there were people around him that could control him.

“They are not with him this time.”

Ms Harris then brought up Mr Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly who on Thursday alleged that the former President said Adolf Hitler did “good things”.

“This is not 2016 and it is not 2020,” Harris said again.

“Just a few months ago the US Supreme Court told the former president he is effectively immune for whatever he does in the white house.

“Imagine Donald Trump without guard rails.

“He will go unchecked and claim extreme power if reelected.

“The choice is truly in your hands,” Ms Harris said wrapping up her speech.

Endorsements to fight Trump

It is the latest attempt by the Harris campaign to capitalise on the backing of movie and music stars to rally voters in the closing days of a tight election race against Republican rival Donald Trump.

On Friday, Ms Harris is set to appear with Beyonce in Houston, Texas.

Rumours began swirling of a Beyonce endorsement shortly after Ms Harris was elevated to the top of the Democrat ticket when US President Joe Biden confirmed he would not seek re-election.

First, Ms Harris used Beyonce’s track Freedom in campaign videos, then the track started being used at rallies.

Then, a false rumour circulated in August stating the singer was preparing to perform at the Democratic National Convention in Illinois, Chicago, sending fans into a frenzy.

Now, an anonymous source has confirmed Beyonce will perform on Friday in Houston Texas, The Washington Post reports.

Beyonce will reportedly appear alongside her mother, Tina Knowles and singer Willie Nelson.

Ms Harris’ whirlwind campaign started with a big jump in polls after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race in late July, but her lead has narrowed in national polls and evaporated in the battleground states that will decide the US election.

Celebrity endorsers add cultural cachet to candidates and have typically helped campaigns raise money, turn out crowds at rallies and generate excitement on social media. For both the Ms Harris and Mr Trump campaigns, they are part of the down-to-the-wire blitz to mobilise voters ahead of Election Day on November 5.

Thursday’s rally also marks the first time Ms Harris and Mr Obama will campaign together. Ms Harris is also slated to appear with former First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday in Michigan, one of seven swing states expected to decide the winner.

The latest polls in Georgia show Mr Trump with a slight lead, but Ms Harris’s campaign officials remain confident the state, along with its neighbour North Carolina, is still in play come November.

Mr Biden pulled off a surprise victory in Georgia in 2020, and Democrats won two hard-fought Senate seats there that gave them control of both houses in Congress for the first half of Mr Biden’s term.

Some 1.9 million residents have already cast their ballot in Georgia, according to the secretary of state’s office.

On Monday, Springsteen, 75, will also appear in Philadelphia with Mr Obama.

In 2016, Springsteen played a three-song set at a rally in front of 20,000 people at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign on the eve of the election. In 2008, Springsteen played a seven-song set for tens of thousands on the city’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway to urge people to register and vote for Mr Obama.

Taylor Swift, Pink, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Lizzo and many other celebrities have endorsed Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. Swift’s endorsement of Harris via an Instagram post this September has now received more than 11 million likes.

Trump supporters from the entertainment world include musicians Ted Nugent, Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, wrestler Hulk Hogan, who spoke at this year’s Republican National Convention, Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White, actor Dennis Quaid, and TV star Amber Rose.

- With Reuters and AP