Kamala Harris launches first presidential campaign ad: ‘We choose freedom’

Vice president’s video tackles themes of abortion and gun violence to the backdrop of her campaign anthem: Beyoncé’s Freedom

Kamala Harris has launched her first official campaign video as she vies to officially secure the Democratic presidential nomination and defeat Donald Trump – just days after Joe Biden announced he was abandoning his reelection bid.

The 59-year-old vice president’s campaign team released the clip across her social media channels on Thursday morning, touching on key messages of abortion rights, tackling gun violence and LGBT+ rights – as well as preventing the “chaos” of a second Trump term.

Harris’ new video bookends a positive first five days on the campaign trail after she secured a record-breaking $81m fundraising haul in the first 24 hours of her run and garnered enough delegates to clinch the presumptive presidential nomination at the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

In the ad, the vice president’s grinning face explodes onto the screen before the shot cuts away to a fluttering American flag.

Harris’ campaign team launched its first video of her presidential candicacy run on Thursday (Kamala Harris/X)

“In this election, we each face a question,” she says while Beyoncé’s 2016 hit Freedom – which the singer gave her blessing to be used as Harris’ official campaign anthem – plays in the background.

“What kind of country do we want to live in?”

The video portays a utopian vision of how harmonious life could become for Americans under the prospective Harris administration. It remains upbeat throughout, carried by the pulsating beat of Beyoncé’s Grammy-nomiated song.

Since Sunday, Trump has switched his tact from attacking Biden to condemning Harris – with the pair already exchanging blows at rallies and on social media.

And within 11 seconds, the former president and his running mate become the target of Harris’ ad.

“There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos. Of fear. Of hate,” she says, over clips of Trump and JD Vance filtered in a luminous red hue.

“But us, we choose something different,” Harris adds, as footage of crowds passionately chanting “Kamala” with placards adorning her name plays across the screen.

Harris exclaims “we choose freedom!” as Beyoncé’s hit reaches a crescendo with the singer belting out: “Freedom, freedom, I can’t move. Freedom cut me loose. Freedom, freedom, where are you, cause I need freedom too.”

Harris played Freedom at her first campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images)

The campaign video goes into a montage showing multi-racial families, voters at rallies and people waving the Pride flag, as she touches on the key rights at the heart of her campaign.

At one point, the footage shows a closeup of a woman in a lab coat embroidered with the word “Obstetrics” – a reference to Harris’ stance to fight for abortion rights.

“The freedom not just to get by, but get ahead,” she continues.

“The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to make decisions about your own body,” with a “Reproductive Freedom” sign flashing on screen.

A montage of different people portays a utopian vision of how harmonious life could become in the US (Kamala Harris/X)

“We choose a future where no child lives in poverty, where we can all afford healthcare. Where no one is above the law,” she adds.

Although the ad never mentions him by name, Trump once again appears with the mugshot shown on screen.

With it are numerous newspaper headlines about his guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial verdict back in May.

“We believe in the promise of America and we’re ready to fight for it,” Harris adds.

“Because when we fight: we win!”

The video concludes with Beyoncé’s lyrics “I’ma keep running, ‘cause a winner doesn't quit on themselves,” as a smiling Harris walks away applauding.