US Presidential Election: Kamala Harris Received in Majesty by Oprah Winfrey

One in an orange pantsuit, the other in her campaign purple. The powerful American presenter Oprah Winfrey received the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on Thursday evening, not on her talk show but during an unprecedented event, specially composed for Donald Trump’s rival by the popess of American television. “Unite for America” ​​was organized with the activist group Win with Black Women, whose objective is to encourage undecided voters and abstainers to go and vote, and to support Harris in key states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan, where the show was filmed.

Oprah Winfrey, who many in the United States call only by her first name, had called a group of stars for the occasion, who intervened via screen, in a teleconference: the singer Jennifer Lopez, the actresses Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts or Tracee Ellis Ross, the daughter of the singer Diana Ross, the actors Bryan Cranston and Ben Stiller, or the comedian Chris Rock. “I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this black president,” the latter enthused.

“Kamala Harris has unleashed a unifying force like we haven’t seen in politics in a very long time. And I know a lot of people are feeling it because it’s really hope and joy that’s rising. Can you feel it? You can feel it,” Winfrey began, making her support for Harris even clearer than she had at the Democratic convention. She then asked her a series of very supportive questions, on topics like immigration, the cost of living and abortion, before listening to stories from some of the participants, many in tears.

“You’re watching a broken mother, the worst pain that a mother, a parent, can feel,” Shanette Williams, the mother of a 28-year-old woman who died in August 2022 in Georgia after a hospital delay due to the state’s restrictive abortion laws, told her. “Amber was not a statistic. … You need to hear me. Women all over the world, people all over the world, need to know that this was preventable,” she insisted as some in the audience cried with her. “I’m so sad. And the courage that you all have shown is extraordinary,” the Democratic candidate replied, adding to the audience that “this story is unfortunately not the only one, since these bans were put in place.”

In her platform, the Democratic candidate promised to restore the national right to abortion, undermined by a Supreme Court decision in June 2022.

“I probably shouldn’t have said that”

In a touching moment, the candidate hugged 15-year-old high school student Natalie Griffith, who was in the front row with her parents. The girl was seriously injured by two bullets when a 14-year-old student opened fire at her school near Atlanta on September 4, killing four people. When Oprah told her she was surprised to learn during the debate with Trump that Harris had a gun in her home, the vice president awkwardly confirmed. “If someone breaks into my house, they’re going to get shot,” she said, before laughing: “I probably shouldn’t have said that. My team will deal with it later.” She added that “we just have to use common sense.” For too long, on the issue of gun violence, some people have pushed a really false choice by suggesting that you either support the Second Amendment or you want to take away everyone’s guns.”

Speaking via Zoom, Meryl Streep said she was worried about the danger if Donald Trump refused to acknowledge his possible defeat at the polls again, as he did four years ago. “I wonder if we are ready for January 7th,” the actress said, referring to the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 by supporters of the Republican billionaire in order to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s election by Congress.

At the same time, Donald Trump was in Washington, where he addressed a pro-Israel organization at a rally to combat anti-Semitism. Accusing Kamala Harris of failing to defend Israel after Hamas’ deadly attack on civilians that left 1,205 dead and many hostages, the Republican said it was in Israel’s interest for her to be defeated in the presidential election. “Any Jewish person who votes for her needs to have their head examined,” the Republican added.