Although Kamala Harris had the audience on its feet during the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention, one potential surprise guest never materialized.
While hosting a special post-DNC live episode of The Daily Show on Thursday in Chicago, Jon Stewart acknowledged the speculation that Beyoncé would grace the crowd with a performance, as well as the awkwardness of her absence.
“The anticipation was high tonight, and not just for Kamala Harris. Speculation was running wild today that there would be a surprise guest, and boy, did they deliver,” said Stewart with a clip of Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin‘s introduction.
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“I am in the Slot’ Hive,” Stewart joked after singing Bey’s “Freedom.” “You thought it was Beyoncé because everyone thought that it was gonna be Beyoncé coming out there. But it was Slotkin all along. Everybody knew.”
After the audience later cheered for Harris, Stewart joked, “She’s not here either. No Beyoncé, no Kamala.”
Emceed by Kerry Washington, the fourth and final night of the 2024 DNC featured The Chicks, who sang the national anthem, and Pink, who performed her 2017 single “What About Us” with her and Carey Hart’s 13-year-old daughter Willow Sage.
The evening comes after Deadline revealed that speculation of a Taylor Swift appearance was fruitless, as her presence “would overshadow everything,” according to a DNC insider.
The final night of DNC speeches culminated with an appearance from Vice President Harris after she and running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accepted the Democratic nomination following roll call on Day 2, appearing together virtually from a campaign rally in Milwaukee.
