CLARKSTON, United States, Oct 25, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Kamala Harris held a star-

studded rally Thursday in swing state Georgia, where former US president
Barack Obama and rock legend Bruce Springsteen joined her final push for
voters ahead of November's nail-biter election.

Harris is cranking up the celebrity wattage -- including with Beyonce in
Texas on Friday, according to reports -- at a series of concerts in
battleground states in hopes of pulling away from rival Donald Trump.

Springsteen and Obama each delivered barbs aimed at the Republican as they
addressed a crowd of thousands in Clarkston, just outside Atlanta.

"Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant," Springsteen said, echoing
concerns by Democrats -- as well as former members of Trump's administration
-- about how Trump may misuse presidential power if reelected.

The iconic singer, known for his socially conscious, working-class anthems,
performed three songs including "The Promised Land" as part of a cameo
designed to bolster Harris's blue-collar credentials.

Obama, the only Black president in US history who remains widely popular
among Democrats, delivered a series of attacks at Trump -- questioning his
business credentials and mocking his "word salad" speeches.

"We do not need four years of a wannabe king, a wannabe dictator, running
around trying to punish his enemies," Obama said.

Harris emphasized her middle class roots -- drawing contrast with the
billionaire Trump -- and said that she would prioritize battling inflation as
president.

"We will build a future where we bring down the cost of living, and that will
be my focus every single day as president of the United States," she said.

The predominantly Black audience -- a key electorate for Harris if she is to
win Georgia -- was also addressed by actor Samuel L. Jackson and film
director Spike Lee.

Large numbers of Americans, including about 2.2 million in Georgia, have
already cast ballots in early voting, reflecting intense engagement ahead of
Election Day on November 5.

- 'Fascist' -

The vice president herself had raised the stakes in a CNN appearance late
Wednesday when she said she considers 78-year-old Trump to be a "fascist" --
echoing a charge from a bombshell interview by the Republican's former chief
of staff, John Kelly.

Trump, the oldest major presidential nominee in US history and the first to
be running with a criminal record, is also casting the election as an
existential battle for the United States.

But it will have profound personal implications too, given he is the subject
of serious criminal probes into his attempt to overturn his 2020 election
loss and his post-presidential hoarding of top-secret documents.

In a radio interview on his way to a rally in Arizona and then another in
Nevada -- both swing states -- Trump announced that if elected he'd fire the
special prosecutor overseeing his remaining cases in "seconds."

Speaking at the Arizona event, he conjured dark imagery of migrant violence
and warned that America had become "a dumping ground" for dangerous and
undocumented immigrants.

"We're like a garbage can for the world," Trump said at the Tempe rally,
which was expected to focus on economic issues, particularly high housing
costs.

But in his 55-minute address Trump made zero mention of home prices, opting
instead to blame Harris for a "migrant invasion" that has overwhelmed
American cities.

- Beyonce -

During a visit later to a Las Vegas bakery, Trump denied reports that he
praised Hitler, telling reporters that his former chief of staff "made up
stories."

At his Las Vegas rally, where he spoke for well over an hour, he claimed that
counter to nearly all polls showing the race neck-and-neck, he was leading
Harris "by a lot" in Nevada and other swing states expected to tip the
national election.

He made similar unfounded assertions ahead of his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, and
used those claims to justify his push to overturn the results.

US media reported Thursday that Beyonce -- whose hit "Freedom" is already the
Harris campaign's signature song -- will join the Democrat when she visits
Houston on Friday to highlight abortion rights.

Obama, 63, has been making his own headlining appearances in support of
Harris in a slew of swing states, including Arizona, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
and Michigan.

The Harris campaign hopes the former president will reverse fears of eroding
support among Black voters.

Harris, 60, is of mixed Black and South Asian heritage, and is vying to
become the country's first female president.

Like Harris, Trump also heads Friday to Texas, where he is to deliver remarks
on border security and record a podcast with comedian Joe Rogan.