Oprah Winfrey Brings Talk Show Uplift And Emotion To Kamala Harris ‘Unite For America’ Event
Oprah Winfrey returned to the talk show format for an in-person and virtual event for Kamala Harris, interspersing emotion and uplift with infomercial appeals to organize for the vice president’s candidacy.
With an audience that included celebrity supporters such as Chris Rock, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep, the event in Farmington Hills, MI was set up like Winfrey’s old powerhouse talk show, with taped segments interspersed with audience questions and some tearful testimonials.
More from Deadline
Unlike Winfrey’s syndicated daytime talk show, the 90-minute event was unabashedly in support of Harris, with those in the audience who asked questions aligned with key campaign messaging priorities on the border, the economy and reproductive rights. Winfrey spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Harris, and in contrast to her previous presidential endorsements, has been more willing to criticize the rival. Speaking about Donald Trump’s attack on Haitian immigrants in Springfield, OH, Winfrey referred to it as a “lie” that “has endangered the lives of the Haitian people and anybody who looks Haitian.”
Questions came from rank-and-file supporters and some of the celebrities.
“What happens when you win, and he doesn’t accept it?” Streep asked Harris, adding that “I am wondering if we will be ready for January 7th.”
“One of the things that I have realized in the course of our campaign is that more Americans than we may realize who voted for [Donald] Trump before have decide January 6th was just a bridge too far,” Harris answered, adding that “I think there is absolutely no tolerance whatsoever for the vast majority of Americans for that, and they’ve seen the lies. They understand.”
The most emotional moment came during a portion devoted to reproductive rights, as Winfrey introduced the mother and sisters of Amber Nicole Thurman. ProPublica reported earlier this week that she suffered a grave infection, complications after taking abortion pills. But she died after her doctors in Atlanta delayed treating herm fearful of being prosecuted because of the state’s abortion law.
“I want you all to know Amber was not a statistic,” her mother, Shanette, said from the audience, fighting back tears. “She was loved by a family, a strong family, and we would have done whatever to get my baby, our baby, the help she needed.”
Harris said to her and her surviving daughters, “I’m just so sorry. And the courage that you have all shown is extraordinary, because also you just learned about how it is that she died. Amber’s mom shared with me that the word over and over again in her mind is preventable.”
The audience of 400 Harris supporters was surrounded by screens with the Zoomed-in faces of thousands of other supporters.
CNN and MSNBC aired portions of the event, which was streamed on YouTube and other platforms. It drew enough attention that Trump posted a praiseworthy letter than Winfrey sent to him in 2001.
The idea of a staged-managed event, made to look like an independently produced news or talk programming, is actually not a new aspect of presidential campaign messaging. In 1968, with Roger Ailes as an adviser, Richard Nixon held “town halls,” where he took questions from a group of carefully selected supporters who raised issues that the campaign wished to highlight. Clips of the town halls were used in commercial spots.
At Unite for America, the first question was from a man who asked what Harris’ plans were for strengthening the border.
Harris reiterated that she would sign a bipartisan border security bill that was scuttled earlier this year after Trump urged members to reject it, with reports that he viewed solving the crisis as helping then-candidate Joe Biden.
She also was asked a couple of questions about the high cost of living, as Trump and his allies have hammered the Biden administration on inflation. Harris highlighted her plans on housing and child care, as well as steps to prevent price gouging.
One of the few unexpected moments came during a segment on gun violence. Natalie Griffith, a 15-year-old survivor of the school shooting in Georgia earlier this month, recounted her story. Winfrey then asked her mother and father, Marilda and Doug, about their experience.
“No parent should go through this,” Marilda said, also fighting tears to get her words out. “You do not know what it feels until it was you.”
Keeping the conversation going, Winfrey said to her, “You have a message for the people in power.”
“Let’s make a change. Let’s make it happen,” Marilda said.
Then Winfrey noted that Doug was not a registered Democrat, but “now you say it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you are on when it comes to this issue. What change do you want to see now that it has affected your family?”
“You know, common sense,” he answered. “I think the first step would just be metal detectors in schools. Make a budget, make a plan.”
Harris did not address the idea of metal detectors, but connected his call for “common sense” to a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks and red flag laws.
Harris also reiterated that she was for the Second Amendment, with Winfrey bringing up her comment at the debate that she is also a gun owner.
“Try breaking into my house, they are getting shot,” Harris said, laughing a bit at the comment. She then added, “I probably shouldn’t have said that. My staff will deal with that later.”
There were some humorous moments during the event, as when Winfrey did an impression of Rock as she introduced him. He joked about Harris, “I remember writing her a check when she was district attorney, get out of a parking ticket or something.” He added, “I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this Black woman president.”
The event was inspired by a flurry of online Zoom fundraising and organizing events that were set up very soon after Harris announced her candidacy, starting with a Black Women for Harris event that drew 47,000 participants. That led to other events, like White Dudes for Harris, Rural Americans for Harris, Swifties for Harris.
Also appearing at the event: Ben Stiller, Tracee Ellis Ross and Bryan Cranston, along with Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
