Oprah, Chris Rock and Ben Stiller demonstrate for Kamala Harris
Oprah Winfrey and other A-list celebrities boosted Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the swing state of Michigan
WASHINGTON – Oprah Winfrey and a long list of other A-list celebrities threw their support behind Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the crucial swing state of Michigan on Thursday night, hosting a livestreamed town hall meeting designed to mobilize her base and appeal to undecided voters.
Winfrey played her usual role as a television host, but instead of The Oprah Winfrey Show, it was essentially a 90-minute campaign ad for Vice President Harris, who appeared on stage to talk to Winfrey 47 days before the November election.
“Can you feel it? Can you feel the joy that’s rising here?” Winfrey said as Harris took the stage in Farmington Hills, a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan. Harris replied, “I can.”
“This movement is about reminding each other that we have so much more in common than what divides us,” Harris said. “This is so much bigger than me. It’s about who we are as Americans.”
About 400 spectators joined Harris and Winfrey in the studio, and many more watched the event, dubbed a “Unite for America” rally, on YouTube, Facebook and other platforms. Several celebrities participated via Zoom, including actor Bryan Cranston, actress Julia Roberts, actress Meryl Streep, actor Ben Stiller, comedian Chris Rock, actress Tracee Ellis Ross and singer Jennifer Lopez.
More: ‘Sweet Promise of Tomorrow’: Watch Oprah Winfrey’s Speech at the 2024 DNC Convention
Like previous Democratic presidential candidates, Harris enjoyed Hollywood star power during her two-month campaign, while former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, received support from celebrities such as Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan and businessman Elon Musk, who interviewed Trump on his social media page “X” last month.
In a fundraising email from Trump’s campaign sent after the show ended, supporters of the former president were warned that Harris had “Hollywood scribblers like Oprah Winfrey” at her disposal who would raise “millions for her campaign.”
“I’m ready to close this chapter,” says Chris Rock
The screens surrounding the televisions at Winfrey-Harris City Hall featured the faces of hundreds of Harris supporters, including representatives from Black Women for Harris, White Dudes for Harris, White Women for Harris and similar groups.
“I’m beaming from ear to ear, Oprah,” Cranston said. “I haven’t felt this much joy and optimism in a campaign in a long time.”
“I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this black president,” Rock told Winfrey. “I’m ready to close the chapter, man. All the hate and negativity has got to stop.”
More: The Teamsters union is not running for president in 2024 and will not support either Harris or Trump
In August, Winfrey made a rare foray into national politics when she spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Thursday’s rally came as Harris gained new momentum in national and political polls that put Harris ahead of Trump.
But Jen O’Malley Dillon, the campaign manager, sought to dispel any impression that Harris was ahead. “We’re still in a margin of error race,” O’Malley Dillon said. “It’s tied. It’s tied here in Michigan. It’s tied in all the swing states.”
Families of Amber Thurman, victims of the school massacre, turn to Vice President
The event was divided into several sections in which voters asked Harris questions on issues such as gun control, the economy, inflation, the southern border and abortion.
More: Tim Walz promotes the opinion of the everyman, undecided voters demand stage presence: Insights from the third day of the DNC
An emotional moment came when the family of 28-year-old Amber Nicole Thurman addressed the vice president. Thurman died two years ago during her pregnancy as doctors in her home state of Georgia struggled with the state’s new abortion restrictions.
“I want you to know that Amber was not a statistic,” Shanette Williams, Thurman’s mother, told Harris.
Also present was Marilda Griffith, the mother of 15-year-old Natalie Griffith. The younger Griffith was shot and injured in the fatal shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, last month.
“You don’t know what it feels like until it happens to you,” said Marilda Griffith, who advocated for anti-gun measures on the show.
During a conversation about guns, Winfrey told Harris she was surprised to learn that Harris owns a gun during last week’s presidential debate.
“If someone breaks into my house, they’ll get shot,” Harris replied, then burst into laughter. “I probably shouldn’t have said that. My staff will deal with that later.”
“That’s my point, Oprah. I’m not trying to take away everyone’s guns. I believe in the Second Amendment,” Harris added, calling stricter background checks for gun ownership and banning assault weapons “just common sense.”
More: Gun owner Kamala Harris says ‘they’ll get shot’ if an intruder breaks into her home
Winfrey appeals to independent voters
Winfrey began the livestream by saying that Harris’ candidacy had “unleashed a unifying force the likes of which we haven’t seen in politics in a long time.”
At the end of the show, she presented her arguments for voters who have not yet decided who they want to support in the election.
“To anyone who is undecided, in the middle, independent like me, or just doesn’t know what to do yet,” Winfrey said. “This is the moment for all decent and caring people who want the best for themselves and other people.”
“This is the moment for people who are tired of all the bickering and all the name-calling,” Winfrey said. “People who are exhausted by all the madness, the made-up stories and the conspiracies.”
Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/XU555LJFMFBCRKCIGQHHBNXWR4.jpg "An old tax proposal could mean new growth for Philadelphia")
