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‘Anxious’ British music producers fly to US to campaign for Kamala Harris
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‘Anxious’ British music producers fly to US to campaign for Kamala Harris

Two British music producers flew to the US to campaign on behalf of Kamala Harris and described Donald Trump’s alliance with Russian leader Vladimir Putin as “terrible” for Britain.

Dan Glatman and Jon Cohen touched down in the swing battleground state of Pennsylvania on Thursday, joining an army of volunteers knocking on doors and interacting with voters ahead of voting day Tuesday.

The London-born duo have no voting rights or shares in US elections, but Mr Cohen, 52, told the PA news agency it had become impossible to overlook “when the stakes are so high”.

Dan Glatman and Jon CohenDan Glatman and Jon Cohen

Dan Glatman and Jon Cohen at the Kamala Harris campaign trail in Pennsylvania (Dan Glatman/PA)

Mr Cohen, whose credits include Joss Stone and Leona Lewis, told PA: “We’re both normal British people, but looking at the state of the world it’s impossible to ignore the choices here because frankly that’s as far as it goes.” Achieving results for everyone.

“And we’ve been following everything constantly for the last couple of months and we felt really strongly that it didn’t feel right to just stand by and watch what was happening.

“We both felt the need to come here and help. There are really strong laws around foreign interference in elections – you can’t send money, you can’t donate – but it’s definitely good to volunteer.

“So we thought, let’s get on a plane, come here, knock on doors and do what we can to help.”

The duo, who are both fathers of young children, described the election as an important moment in history.

Dan GlatmanDan Glatman

Dan Glatman met governor Josh Shapiro while campaigning in Pennsylvania (Dan Glatman/PA)

“To us, this does not feel like an act of charity in any way because there is no person in the world who will not be affected by what happens tomorrow,” Mr. Cohen said.

Mr Glatman, best known as the creator and manager of British boy band Blue, told PA: “We were extremely concerned in the UK.

“We live under the protection of the American defense umbrella, there is a lot of rhetoric about this, (but) ultimately it is (Donald) Trump’s closeness to (Vladimir) Putin that really scares us the most.

“This is very scary. “It’s clear where his loyalties lie,” he said, later adding: “The other thing for us is climate, and we’re appalled by Trump’s stance on climate denial.”

Mr Glatman spoke of the “extraordinary camaraderie” of volunteers campaigning for the Democratic Party who were “united for the same purpose”.

APTOPIX Election 2024 HarrisAPTOPIX Election 2024 Harris

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (Susan Walsh/AP)

“We’re part of a team that knocks on 2,000 doors a minute, so it’s actually a real privilege to be a part of this and a totally fantastic use of our time,” he said.

The 49-year-old also said spotting his British accent on the doorstep “was quite an act of gratitude and was quite emotional.”

Mr Cohen told PA: “It’s a great feeling to have you all together, working hard together and knowing that morally you’re on the right side of things, but people will be on edge, close.

“The interesting thing is that we haven’t seen anyone, not a single person, campaigning for Trump on the streets, and we’ve walked hundreds of streets so far, and we haven’t seen a single person knocking on doors for Trump.

“We want to feel positive, but the stakes are so high that everyone is also a little nervous, waiting to see what happens,” he said.

There is “no complacency” this time after the “terrible shock” of the 2016 election, Mr Cohen said, adding: “No one is taking anything for granted.”

Dan Glatman and Jon Cohen Dan Glatman and Jon Cohen

Dan Glatman and Jon Cohen on the campaign trail (Dan Glatman/PA)

During their campaign days in Pennsylvania, the duo met Josh Shapiro, the governor who supported Anna Thomas’ run for state representative.

Reflecting on the people they met during their trip, the pair said people chose to support Ms. Harris following her pledge to support abortion rights following the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision ending the constitutional right to abortion services.

“We talked to a grandmother yesterday who said, ‘I have to vote for my grandchildren, I have to protect their rights, I have to protect their freedom, they are under threat, that’s why I’m doing this.’ I vote for Kamala,” Mr. Glatman said.

“We had a bit of a moment, it was actually quite emotional and made us realize how lucky we are.

“I have two teenage daughters, and like Jon, I feel a deep commitment to women in America.

“The abortion issue here is very, very real, we don’t realize how lucky we are in the UK.”

Ms. Harris spent her last day before the election in Pennsylvania, whose 19 electoral delegates are expected to determine the electoral college outcome, offering the biggest prize of any state.