Oprah Winfrey Hosts Virtual Rally With Kamala Harris and Celebrity Guests

Oprah Winfrey interviewed Kamala Harris in a virtual rally in Michigan on Thursday night, gathering organizers and celebrity guests to help get out her campaign message.

Harris fielded questions from a studio audience in Farmington Hills, Mich., in a format that echoed "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She addressed topics including immigration, abortion and the cost of living, without making any obvious headlines or miscues.

Winfrey welcomed Harris to the stage with a hug, and opened by asking her about the moment President Biden stepped aside. Winfrey said that it appeared that a veil had dropped, and that Harris had "stepped into your power."

"Did you feel that?" she asked.

"I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you," Harris said. "There really is so much at stake."

Michigan's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, preceded Harris to the stage.

"This is gonna be a big, close race," Whitmer said. "Michigan is always tight."

Jen O'Malley Dillon, the Harris campaign chair, also spoke, emphasizing that the race is "tied in all the battleground states."

Celebrities including Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Tracee Ellis Ross, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lopez and Julia Roberts appeared onscreen, with approximately 300,000 viewers watching on YouTube.

Rock said he first donated to Harris when she was running for district attorney 20 years ago.

"I been writing her checks for a long time," Rock said. "I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this Black woman president. I'm ready to turn the page, man, all the hate and the negativity — it's gotta stop."

The event, dubbed "Unite for America," was billed as a gathering of groups that formed on Zoom and other platforms in the days after Harris entered the race in July. Win With Black Women kicked off the trend, followed by groups like Comics for Kamala, Cat Ladies for Kamala, Win With Black Men, and White Dudes for Harris.

Harris has faced some criticism from Republicans and the political press for holding few unscripted appearances, and sitting for only a few interviews.

Winfrey held a similar event for Joe Biden in October 2020, which was part of her "OWN Your Vote" series of virtual town halls. She was also a surprise speaker at the convention in Chicago last month.

Best of Variety