CLEVELAND (AP) – Donald Trump boasts that he doesn’t need stars to fill his venues in the closing days of the presidential campaign. Maybe so, but the very people Hillary Clinton needs to shore up her campaign – millennials and minorities – appear all too happy to see her with singer Beyoncé and rapper husband Jay Z.
Standing on stage with the superstars at a free concert at Cleveland’s Wolstein Center, Clinton lavished praise on the celebrity couple and asked the thousands of cheering fans for their votes.
“Please take this energy out with you,” Clinton said. “Help us win Ohio.”
Clinton’s campaign has hosted a series of free concerts designed to drum up enthusiasm for her bid. Rocker Bon Jovi and R&B singer Ne-Yo rallied voters in North Carolina, while singer/actress Jennifer Lopez took the stage in Miami and singer Steve Wonder was performing in Philadelphia.
On Saturday night, Clinton will host a concert with pop star Katy Perry in Philadelphia, then return to the city on Monday for a joint rally with President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton. Pennsylvania is a state where Clinton has long had a solid lead; it has not voted for a Republican in six presidential elections.