Obamas to hit the campaign trail in first joint appearances with Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris will hit the trail for the first time alongside the Obamas, who the campaign hopes will galvanize supporters in early voting areas in the waning days ahead of the election.

Harris is appearing alongside the political juggernauts at a crucial time when polling indicates that she and former President Donald Trump are virtually tied in the final all-out push to Nov. 5.

Harris will hold a campaign event with former President Barack Obama in Georgia next Thursday, the first time the pair has campaigned side by side, a senior campaign official said. A week from Saturday, Harris will campaign alongside former first lady Michelle Obama in Michigan, the first time she has appeared on the campaign trail this cycle. The appearances are billed as get-out-the-vote events, according to the campaign official.

The campaign official said Harris advisers believe they can boost voter enthusiasm through the joint events, pointing to people who have signed up for nearly a thousand volunteer shifts during former President Obama’s rally for Harris in Pennsylvania last week.

In a major push, Democratic stars are hitting the trail for Harris in the final weeks of the campaign.

In addition to his plans to campaign alongside Harris in Georgia, Barack Obama is set to hold events in Arizona and Nevada on Friday and Saturday. Next week, he is expected to head to Michigan and Wisconsin. Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will join him at the Wisconsin rally.

Former President Bill Clinton has stumped for Harris in Georgia, a state Democrats flipped blue in 2020. On Thursday, he campaigned alongside Walz in North Carolina. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made multiple media appearances in support of Harris.

Last week, Barack Obama held a rally in Pittsburgh, his first time campaigning for Harris in a battleground state. In September, he also held a fundraiser for her campaign in Los Angeles.

NBC News has reported that Michelle Obama has worked to boost voter turnout behind the scenes. She has also expressed concerns about security after assassination attempts against Trump.

Michelle Obama electrified supporters at the Democratic National Convention this summer, urging them to “do something” to support Harris.

“If we see a bad poll, and we will, we’ve got to put down that phone and do something,” she said in her speech in August. “If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we’ve got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our faces and what?”

“Do something!” the crowd responded.

Georgia’s early voting period has already started. Michiganders can start heading to the polls for early voting in most of the state on Oct. 26 — the day of Harris’ rally with Michelle Obama.