Harris joined by Beyoncé; Trump with Rogan in rival Texas trips

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are breaking off from the swing-state trail to campaign in an unlikely venue this close to Election Day - Texas, a state that is solidly in the Republican presidential column.

The two have similar aims as they descend on the Lone Star State - looking to tap prominent entertainment figures to amplify their message and with plans to hammer their opponents over their biggest electoral liabilities with an eye to voters across the country.

Harris will hold a rally in Houston, the hometown of pop superstar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, focused on abortion rights - a bid to highlight an issue Democrats see as critical to pulling votes from independents and suburban women in states across the country.

Trump, meanwhile, is heading to the state capital of Austin, where he will record an episode of the hit podcast The Joe Rogan Experience with comedian and host Joe Rogan, in an effort to court young male voters - a key demographic for the show.

He'll also use his visit to the border state to highlight the migrant surge, seeking to hit Harris over a top issue for voters - and one where they trust the former president. Trump then heads to battleground Michigan for a rally with early voting in the state set to expand.

Here's the latest from the Friday campaign trail:

Dueling podcasts

Trump will appear on Rogan's hit show against the backdrop of both candidates' bids to reach voters who may not be as attuned to political news and to sway late undecideds who offer to tip the balance in swing states where polling shows an incredibly tight race. While Trump will record with Rogan on Friday, it's unclear when that episode will drop.

Rogan is widely considered the most popular podcaster in the world. His show maintains 17.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 15.7 million on Spotify.

Harris had been in talks with Rogan as well but her spokesman Ian Sams on MSNBC said they were unable to set up an appearance due to scheduling difficulties during this stretch of the campaign. He emphasized that Harris is open to sitting down with different formats to reach voters.

The vice president will instead sit on Friday with another popular podcaster, Brené Brown.

Beyoncé’s star power

Harris' day will be capped by a rally in Houston, with an appearance by Beyoncé, which offers to provide a major boost to a campaign that must turn out large numbers of Black and young voters.

The multi-genre artist is just one of a long list of celebrities hitting the stump for Harris. A Thursday rally in Georgia saw rock icon Bruce Springsteen perform and filmmakers Spike Lee and Tyler Perry and actor Samuel L. Jackson also take the stage.

But the focus of the Houston event will be the state's near-total abortion ban. The vice president has hammered Trump over his role in appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who helped strike down federal abortion protections, labeling the wave of restrictions that followed across the country as "Trump abortion bans" and highlighting cases where women suffered serious health complications or died after being denied reproductive health care.

Trump has used the high court's ruling to rally the evangelical voters but has also sought to neutralize the issue in the general election by claiming abortion rights are now up to the states. His inconsistent messaging has managed to rankle both religious voters and Democrats. Trump has said some state restrictions are "too tough" and predicted those measures would be rolled back.

Michigan rally

Trump is heading to a rally Friday evening in Traverse City, Michigan, in a state where he has played up his populist economic agenda of tax cuts and tariffs aimed at bringing back domestic manufacturing.

The former president has targeted auto industry workers and business leaders in the state, offering tax breaks for purchasing cars made in the US and vowing to impose steep tariffs on products made outside the country. Trump has dismissed warnings from most economists that tariffs could cause prices for goods to spike and hamper economic growth.

The United Auto Workers endorsed Harris, but Trump has made inroads with rank-and-file members, a potentially decisive voting bloc in the state. Michigan, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, comprise the Democratic Blue Wall "- a trio of states that offers Harris one of her best paths to victory.

Money race

The latest Federal Election Commission disclosures show that Elon Musk, the world's richest person, gave another $56 million to elect Trump and Republicans - bringing his total spent to elect allies to the White House and Congress to at least $132 million.

Musk's super political action committee, America PAC, is working to boost voter turnout for Trump in swing states and Republicans in key congressional districts.

Trump and the Republican Party raised $111 million in the first half of October and have $216 million cash on hand for the final weeks of the campaign. Harris and Democrats raised $188 million in the first 16 days of the month and have $270 million cash on hand.

Black, Latino outreach

Harris' running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, will be campaigning on Friday in Pennsylvania, which boasts the most Electoral College votes of the swing states, giving it an outsized role in the election.

Walz will focus his efforts on bolstering Black and Latino outreach, two groups that are traditionally Democratic blocs but where Trump has made inroads thanks to economic concerns.

Walz will meet with community leaders in Philadelphia to tout Harris' economic policies targeted to Black voters, according to the campaign. He will also visit Allentown, where he will be joined by Mayor Matt Tuerk, the city's first Latino mayor.

The campaign has also enlisted former President Barack Obama to help shore up support from Black voters, in particular men. Obama on Sunday will join a virtual event with the Win With Black Men political action committee.