Eminem, Springsteen join Kamala Harris campaign as Democrats seek celebrity boost in deadlocked race

A couple of decades have passed since rapper Eminem was dominating the music charts. 

But in Detroit, in the American election battleground state of Michigan, he remains a hometown hero.

“As most of you know, the city of Detroit and the whole state of Michigan mean a lot to me,” he told a political rally in the Midwestern city tonight.

“And going into this election, the spotlight is on us more than ever. And I think it’s important to use your voice so I’m encouraging everybody to get out and vote please.”

Eminem, a long-time critic of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, was introducing former president Barack Obama at a rally for Kamala Harris on Tuesday, local time.

He’s the latest big name to try to give the Democratic candidate a tie-breaking boost as the election race enters its final fortnight with deadlocked polls.

Other stars hitting the hustings for Ms Harris in the home stretch range from rocker Bruce Springsteen to the cast of White House drama The West Wing.

The star power is being focused on the seven swing states likely to decide the election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Emmy-winning actor Bradley Whitford, who played White House deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman in The West Wing, appeared at a rally with Mr Obama earlier on Tuesday. 

“I know you must be bored hearing some celebrity lubricant like me,” Whitford said to laughs from the crowd in Wisconsin’s state capital, Madison. 

“Sorry, that was weird… no, you don’t need me to tell you what you already know – that this is the most important election of your lifetime.”

Fellow West Wing stars Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill and Mary McCormack joined Whitford at a campaign event in Milwaukee on Monday.

Springsteen to sing to get out Harris vote

Mr Obama will continue his star-studded swing-state tour with Bruce Springsteen in Georgia on Thursday and Pennsylvania on Monday. 

“The major event is part of a series of ‘When We Vote We Win’ concerts focused on driving enthusiasm and getting Pennsylvanians to vote early,” the Harris campaign said of the latter concert.

Springsteen also performed in support of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. He endorsed Ms Harris, and described Trump as “the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime”, in a video posted to social media earlier this month. 

Other big musical names to join Ms Harris on the trail in recent days include Lizzo and Usher, who campaigned for the vice-president in Michigan and Georgia respectively.

The Harris campaign has also enjoyed backing from P!nk and Oprah Winfrey, who both appeared at the Democratic National Convention in August; Beyoncé, who allowed the use of her hit song Freedom at campaign rallies; and Taylor Swift, whose post-debate endorsement of Ms Harris prompted Trump to say the singer would “probably pay a price”, and that he hated her.

Trump wins support from swing state sports stars

Trump’s highest-profile celebrity backers include wrestler Hulk Hogan, musician Kid Rock and Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White, who all appeared at the Republican National Convention in July. 

He has also won endorsement from some lauded Pennsylvania athletes, which could boost his support in that battleground state. Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, who played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, appeared at a Trump rally on Monday.

Billionaire businessman Elon Musk has also been campaigning for Trump, offering voters the chance to win $US1 million ($1.4 million) if they sign an online petition and provide their contact details to his pro-Trump political group.

At a rally last month, Trump suggested Hollywood stars secretly voted for him despite publicly saying they didn’t.

“A lot of people in Hollywood are blaming themselves for this… but they all vote for me,” he told the rally in Arizona. 

“You know that? Because they want to pay low taxes. They talk about, ‘No, we don’t like Trump’, but when they go to vote…”