“We choose freedom”: Kamala Harris launches first campaign ad, set to Beyoncé

The ad, posted Thursday morning, contrasts Harris' vision with Trump's record of "fear and hate"

By Nandika Chatterjee

News Fellow

Published July 25, 2024 10:44AM (EDT)

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Grand Boule at the Indiana Convention Center on July 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Grand Boule at the Indiana Convention Center on July 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Kamala Harris' campaign has unveiled its first ad since the vice president became the presumptive Democratic nominee.

“In this election, we each face a question,” Harris says in the 79-second ad. “What kind of country do we want to live in?”

Set to Beyoncé’s 2016 hit song “Freedom,” the ad frames Harris' agenda as positive and forward-looking, in contrast to former President Donald Trump's vision of "fear and hate."

"We choose something different," Harris says in the video, which was posted to her social media channels Thursday morning. "We choose freedom.:

The ad comes after Harris raised $81 million within the first 24 hours of her run and quickly secured over the delegates she needs to become the Democrats' formal nominee.

The ad opens with Harris smiling and cuts away to the American flag, followed by a crowd of supporters holding signs with her name, “Kamala.”

In it, Harris defines her vision for the country as "the freedom not just to get by, but to get ahead." She continues: "The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to make decisions about your own body. We choose a future where no child lives in poverty. Where we can all afford healthcare.

As headlines from Trump's criminal trial flashes on the screen, Harris adds: "Where no one is above the law.”

“We believe in the promise of America," Harris concludes, "and we’re ready to fight for it. Because when we fight, we win."


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