Beyoncé Rumors, Trump’s Tweets Don’t Diminish Harris’ “Freedom” at DNC Close

On the morning of the fourth and final day of the Democratic National Convention, excitement was already buzzing about a potential “surprise guest” that could outshine the previous night’s celebrity speakers. Speculation centered on Beyoncé, as her song “Freedom” from her 2016 album “Lemonade” has become an anthem for Kamala Harris’ campaign. However, those rumors turned out to be unfounded. Nevertheless, the joyful atmosphere from the start of the convention on Monday remained intact, culminating with the grand finale that was Harris herself.

As Thursday progressed, a social media post by White House Political Director Emmy Ruiz, featuring a bee emoji—an apparent nod to “the beyhive,” Beyoncé’s fan club—fueled the speculation of a possible appearance by the singer. This buzz gained even more traction after TMZ ran an erroneous “exclusive” reporting that Beyoncé had been spotted in Chicago and was set to attend the event. But as the night went on and Harris took the stage, social media turned to humor, commenting on how the speculation was just a ploy to keep viewers engaged.

“The surprise guest was the friends we made along the way,” joked media columnist Justin Baragona in a tweet.

“Good Evening, ‘DNC surprise Beyoncé’ was a 7-hour sociological study conducted by the Democratic Party. We are now complete with our study. Thank you for your attention,” quipped Democratic strategist Joshua Rush in another tweet.

By the time The Hollywood Reporter quoted a Beyoncé representative stating, “Beyoncé was never scheduled to be there. The report of a performance is untrue,” attendees and viewers finally shifted their focus to what truly mattered. Maybe it wasn’t the “Freedom” they had expected, but a moment of “freedom” that carries far more weight and could last for years.

“On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language a grandmother speaks, on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey, on behalf of Americans, like the people I grew up with, people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another, on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be President of the United States,” Harris began in her opening remarks on Thursday night. She is the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead a major-party ticket.

Throughout her speech, Harris touched on the experiences that have shaped her into the woman, politician, and presidential candidate she is today. She had to pause several times to allow for applause, making sure she had enough time to fit in everything she wanted to share.

“To hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections, to the peaceful transfer of power. I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations. A president who leads and listens, who is realistic, practical, and has common sense. And always fights for the American people. This has been my life’s work,” she stated, contrasting her vision with that of her opponent, Donald Trump.

“Just imagine Donald Trump with no guard rails . . . Consider what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol. His explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents and anyone he sees as the enemy. His explicit intent to deploy our active duty military against our own citizens,” she warned about her opponent, who was live-tweeting her speech.

“IS SHE TALKING ABOUT ME?” Trump wrote on Truth Social early in her address.

The night was not about Beyoncé, nor was it about Trump. Harris was focusing on what must be done about the current state of affairs.

“In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious,” Harris emphasized. And this serious point was made clearer, in this instance, without a musical soundtrack.