Kamala Harris held a “virtual rally” with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday for a wide-ranging sit-down interview in which she criticized her opponent’s stance on reproductive rights and promised to sign a border security bill blocked by Senate Republicans, but generally remained wary of the legendary TV interviewer.
Hosted by one of TV talk show’s all-time greats, the event was filled with celebrity cameos and poignant personal stories, and was broadcast live from the key battleground state of Michigan.
“Optimism and hope are really coming back, for this new day that’s no longer on the horizon, but is here, and we are living it,” Oprah told the 400 people in person and more than 200,000 who tuned in virtually.
Remote attendees included stars such as Tracee Ellis Ross, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Chris Rock and Ben Stiller, who watched the show from their living rooms and expressed their enthusiasm for Harris-Waltz’s vote.
“I want to take my daughters to the White House to meet this black woman president,” Locke said. “I think she’ll be a great president and I’m ready to turn the next page. The hate and negativity has to stop.”
“Hello, President Harris,” Meryl Streep greeted her, then covered her mouth. “Oops!”
“Forty-seven days,” Harris replied with a laugh.
Oprah faced difficulties sitting across from Harris, who has been known among journalists since the beginning of her career as a tightly controlled, recurring interviewee.
Even when Oprah asked about Harris’ sudden change of heart after Biden endorsed her as his presidential campaign manager, Harris didn’t have much to say.
But in one unexpected display of candor, Oprah said she was surprised to learn that Harris had owned guns for many years.
“If anyone breaks into my house, they will be shot,” Harris said, laughing in surprise at herself. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that, but my staff will deal with it later.”
“I’m not trying to take away everyone’s guns,” Harris added.
During the roughly 90-minute conversation, Harris spoke directly to the audience, raising concerns about immigration, the cost of living and the crackdown on reproductive rights.
Oprah said Americans grieve with Haitians and those mistaken for Haitians as they now live in fear because the Trump campaign spread sensationalist and false claims about Haitians, but added that many Americans, left, right and center, are genuinely concerned about immigration to the United States.
Answering a question from the audience about what she would do to strengthen border security, Harris blamed President Donald Trump for killing a bill that would have provided more funding for law enforcement at the border.
“This bill would have increased resources to prosecute transnational criminal organizations,” Harris said. “Donald Trump called his allies and said, ‘Don’t put this bill on the floor and put it up for a vote.’ He would rather play the problem than tackle it. And he put his own political safety above border security.”
Also in attendance were the mother and sisters of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died in 2022 after developing complications from taking the abortion pill but failing to receive prompt medical care, just weeks after Georgia’s abortion ban went into effect. Recent reports have said hers is the first “preventable” death confirmed as a result of Georgia’s abortion ban.
Her family blamed her death on Donald Trump and his Supreme Court nominees. “They let her die because of stupid anti-abortion laws. They treated her like a number,” Thurman’s sister said of the medical professionals she turned to for help.
“You are seeing a mother who is broken,” Thurman’s mother said through tears. “This is the worst pain a parent can feel. I want everyone to know that Amber is not just a statistic. She was loved by a strong family and we would have done anything to get her baby the help she needed. Women all over the world need to know this was preventable.”
Harris offered her condolences to the families of the deceased and reiterated that President Trump chose the three Supreme Court justices with the intent of expanding abortion bans to all states. “They have done exactly what the president intended,” she said.
The “Unite for America” livestreamed rally on Thursday night brought together 400 groups that have been holding virtual rallies for candidate Harris-Waltz.
The first virtual rally was organized by Win with Black Women, a group that convened 44,000 Black women on a Zoom call to strategize and raise money for the Harris campaign within hours of Joe Biden dropping out of the race.
“We knew we needed to take action,” Jotaka Eadie, founder of Win with Black Women, said during the event. “This was a moment to show our country what Black women have always done.”
Despite major swings following the Democratic National Convention and the Sept. 10 presidential debate, the race between Harris and Donald Trump remains close, with each candidate receiving 47% support, according to the latest New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll.
