HOUSTON, TX – It was a red-hot – but baseless – rumor at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago two months ago.

Speculation that Beyoncé would appear at the Democratic presidential nominating convention — perhaps alongside Taylor Swift — turned into a frenzy.

It didn’t happen.

But on Friday evening, before a massively announced crowd of 30,000 people at a downtown Houston football stadium, the superstar singer and cultural icon returned to her hometown to appear on behalf of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Beyoncé, whose hit “Freedom” has been adopted by the vice president as her campaign song, spoke and introduced Harris at the event, which leaned heavily on reproductive rights.

Musical artist Beyoncé, right, and Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, left, embrace on stage during a campaign rally on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) ((AP Photo/Annie Mulligan)

“It’s time for America to sing a new song,” Beyoncé said as she formally endorsed the vice president in her White House race against former President Trump. “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a loud, Texas welcome to the next President of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”

And she emphasized: “I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician, I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all our children live in. world where we have the freedom to control our bodies.”

Harris, who has made the issue of reproductive rights a centerpiece of her presidential campaign, took aim at the Lone Star State’s highly restrictive abortion law. And the meeting included speeches from a number of people negatively affected by the state ban.

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Reproduction rights have been a winning issue for Democrats since the landmark conservative majority on the Supreme Court in the summer of 2022 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had legalized abortion for decades.

Harris reiterated her message that Trump, who appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during his four years in the White House, is responsible for the abortion law in Texas, where the procedure is banned after six weeks of pregnancy.

“Texas, what we are experiencing here is a health care crisis, and Donald Trump is the architect of it,” Harris said.

Musical performers Beyoncé, right, and Kelly Rowland, left, on stage during a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Introduced by her mother, fashion designer and philanthropist Tina Knowles, Beyoncé was joined on stage by singer and actress Kelly Rowland, her Destiny’s Child bandmate.

“H-Town. We are so happy to stand here on this stage as proud Texas women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who pushed for what this country really needs right now,” Beyoncé said. .

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And Rowland, standing next to Beyoncé, noted, “Houston, you already had a hand in creating destiny, so do what you do and do this thing again.”

Although Beyoncé was the biggest celebrity on stage, there was another icon present at the rally.

Texas native and legendary singer, songwriter and guitarist Willie Nelson performed earlier in the evening.

Musician Willie Nelson performs ahead of an event for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris during a rally in Houston, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Introduced as a “Texas Voter,” Nelson, 91, asked the crowd, “we’re ready to say: Madam President.”

Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba spoke earlier at the rally. The Harris campaign said the crowd was the largest yet at any of the vice president’s rallies.

It was the second night in a row that Harris received support from major celebrities.

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At a rally in a suburb of Atlanta, where she worked with former President Obama, rock legend Bruce Springsteen – who has supported Democratic presidential candidates for 20 years – performed three songs.

Bruce Springsteen performs at a campaign rally in support of Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Clarkston, Georgia (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

The vice president’s rally, which her campaign said drew 23,000 people, also included filmmaker and playwright Tyler Perry, film director, producer, screenwriter and actor Spike Lee, and actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Trump, who was in Austin, Texas, earlier on Friday, took aim at Harris.

“Today she is in Texas working with woke celebrities,” the former president accused as he highlighted the issue of immigration and border security at an event in Austin.

Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, arrives to speak at a press conference at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

It was a similar message from Michael Whatley, chairman of the Republican National Committee, who also criticized Harris for his celebrity campaigning.

Whatley argued that “Harris’ refusal to acknowledge the border crisis she created is one of the many reasons why Texas is clearly Trump country — Kamala Harris breached the southern border, but President Trump will fix it.”

Harris’ stop in Houston marked the first time in decades that a Democratic Party standard-bearer held a major campaign event in Texas just before Election Day.

But the trip doesn’t mean the Harris campaign thinks Texas has a role to play in the White House race.

Although President Biden has narrowed the gap in the 2020 presidential election to a five-and-a-half-point deficit, top advisers to Harris are under no illusions about a state reversal.

But the rally’s message was intended not just for Texans, but also for voters in the seven crucial battleground states whose razor-thin margins determined Biden’s 2020 victory over Trump and will likely determine whether Harris or the former president wins the 2024 election .

While Texas is not one of those states, it is home to a key Senate race, which is among a handful that will decide whether the Republican Party regains the chamber’s majority.

Conservative Senator Ted Cruz joined Trump at the afternoon event in Austin, while Democratic challenger Rep. Collin Allred spoke hours later at the Harris rally.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on our Fox News Digital election hub.