Jon Bon Jovi announces endorsement of Kamala Harris: ‘Truth matters’

'I believe in the power of we, not of me,' New Jersey rocker says in swipe at Trump

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Published Oct 16, 2024  •  5 minute read

Jon Bon Jovi poses for a portrait in New York, Sept. 23, 2020. Photo by Drew Gurian /Invision/AP

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has announced his endorsement of Kamala Harris as the next U.S. president.

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The musician made the news official in a social media post that included a link to the Bon Jovi song The People’s House, which features on his namesake band’s latest LP Forever and includes guest vocals from The War and Treaty.

“The People’s House is a song that celebrates this beautiful place that we call home, from sea to shining sea,” the singer wrote. “The truth matters. And the truth is on election day I’ll be voting for @KamalaHarris and @TimWalz because I believe in the power of we, not of me. I’ve written a song reminding us that out of many, we are still one.”

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Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff thanked the New Jersey artist by putting his own spin on a famous Bon Jovi lyric, writing in a post on X, “It’s my wife, and it’s now or never. Election’s coming in November. Thanks for supporting Kamala, @JonBonJovi!”

Bon Jovi has a long history of supporting Democratic candidates, but in 2021 he told The Guardian about a spat he had with Harris’ opponent Donald Trump after they both tried to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014.

Alongside a group of Canadian investors, Bon Jovi’s bid was ultimately unsuccessful, but an anti-Bon Jovi sentiment lingered in the city after rumours persisted that his intention all along was to move the team to Canada.

He said he eventually learned that the negative campaign was stirred up by Michael Caputo, a political strategist with ties to Trump.

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“I was really shocked at the depths (Trump) went to. He wasn’t even qualified to buy the team, because you have to submit your tax returns, and he never filed the paperwork. Instead, he did this dark shadow assassination thing, hoping to buy the team at a bargain basement price. But I just couldn’t understand how this misinformation was being put out there. It was seriously scarring,” Bon Jovi said at the time.

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When asked if he’d ever let Trump use one of his songs at a rally, Bon Jovi replied, “No! No, no, no!

“On every issue we wholeheartedly disagree, from how he handled the COVID crisis to immigration to the Paris accord – everything! No! No!”

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After Harris stepped in to replace President Joe Biden following his decision to drop out of the race after a disastrous debate performance against Republican candidate Trump, the sitting vice-president has assembled a high-profile A list of endorsements. 

Earlier this month, Bruce Springsteen announced he was throwing his support behind Harris.

In an impassioned message shared to his official Instagram page, the Born to Run rocker praised Harris and her running mate Tim Walz for promoting a “vision of America I’ve been consistently writing about for 55 years.

“Perhaps not since the Civil War has this great country felt as politically, spiritually and emotionally divided as it does than at this moment,” Springsteen said in his video, which was shot inside a diner. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

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Springsteen went on to slam Trump as the “the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime.

“His disdain for the sanctity of our Constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law and the sanctity of the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of president ever again. He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American,” he added.

The Boss went on to praise the Harris and Walz campaign for their commitment to “a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone.

“On the other hand, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are committed to a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone, regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity, and they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all, not just a few like me, on top,” he said.

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Pop superstar Taylor Swift also revealed she’ll be voting for Harris next month. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post.

Meanwhile, Rufus Wainwright, the Canadian-American artist whose cover of Leonard Cohen’s classic ballad Hallelujah is a well-known favourite, lashed out at Trump for using his version of the song at a town hall in Oaks, Pa., on Monday night.

“The song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen has become an anthem dedicated to peace, love and acceptance of the truth. I’ve been supremely honoured over the years to be connected with this ode to tolerance. Witnessing Trump and his supporters commune with this music last night was the height of blasphemy,” Wainwright said in a statement.

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“Of course, I in no way condone this and was mortified, but the good in me hopes that perhaps in inhabiting and really listening to the lyrics of Cohen’s masterpiece, Donald Trump just might experience a hint of remorse over what he’s caused. I’m not holding my breath.”

Trump’s town hall went viral Monday night, when he turned an audience Q&A into a dance party, playing songs like Ave Maria, Nothing Compares 2 U by the late Sinead O’Connor and It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown, November Rain by Guns N’ Roses and more.

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“Total lovefest at the Pa. town hall! Everyone was so excited they were fainting so @realDonaldTrump turned to music,” Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X after the event. “Nobody wanted to leave and wanted to hear more songs from the famous DJT Spotify playlist!”

“I had a Town Hall in Pennsylvania last night. It was amazing! The Q and A was almost finished when people began fainting from the excitement and heat,” Trump said afterward in a post on Truth Social. “We started playing music while we waited, and just kept it going. So different, but it ended up being a GREAT EVENING!”

But Harris’ campaign said the former president appeared “lost, confused, and frozen on stage.”

“Hope he’s okay,” Harris tweeted.

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