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Oprah Winfrey hosted a virtual rally for Kamala Harris, which was full of key moments and celebrity appearances.
On Thursday (September 19), Oprah Winfrey was the host of a virtual rally in support of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. The conversation was held in front of a live studio audience in Farmington Hills, Michigan, which is a northwestern suburb of the city of Detroit. After greeting Vice President Harris warmly, Winfrey asked her about President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing her. “I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose,” ” Harris responded. “There really is so much at stake.”
The event, dubbed “Unite For America”, brought together many of the groups who had previously held virtual calls for Harris in the past weeks since she entered the race including Win With Black Women, Win With Black Men, Comics for Kamala, Cat Ladies for Kamala, and White Dudes for Harris.
Winfrey led a conversation where different topics were discussed, including gun safety and the Second Amendment. At one point, Harris shared that she did own a gun. “If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot,” she remarked, prompting the crowd to laugh before adding, “I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later.”
That moment was one of several where Vice President Harris opened up and spoke at length about issues she is passionate about, including the effects of illegal immigration and reproductive rights for women. That discussion took on greater impact when the mother and sister of Amber Thurman spoke with Harris and Winfrey. Thurman died of sepsis after waiting 20 hours for treatment after taking an abortion pill, which has been tied to the state’s abortion ban. “It’s a healthcare crisis,” Harris said. “It’s a health care crisis that affects the patient and the profession.”
Celebrities were also on hand to lend their support to Harris, including Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez, and Meryl Streep. An estimated 300,000 tuned in to the live-streamed event, and Winfrey was adamant about her motivation behind hosting – imploring people to register and to vote. “We love having you here, but the rah-rah moment is going to end, and then we need to get to work,” she said to the crowd.
Check out more reactions to the virtual event below.