Kamala Harris held a star-studded rally hosted by talk show legend Oprah Winfrey on Thursday aimed at swaying voters even as rival Donald Trump criticised Jewish Americans for not voting for him. Hollywood stars including Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock and Ben Stiller attended remotely via screens to praise the Democratic vice president.
Sitting on a chat show-style stage, Winfrey began by asking Harris how her confidence suddenly increased — “a curtain fell or something” — after she became the candidate to replace President Joe Biden.
“There are moments in all of our lives when you have to step up,” Harris, 59, responded during a livestreamed “Unite for America” event.
The two hugged each other as they arrived on stage at a rally in Michigan, one of seven crucial states that will decide the November 5 election.
It’s great to be with @oprah A town hall is organized to talk directly about the issues that are on the minds of Americans this election.
Our campaign is about who we are as Americans — and making it clear that we stand for freedom, liberty, and dignity. pic.twitter.com/5k8h5Ra7Uk
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 20, 2024
Harris urged Americans to unite against the “powerful forces that would seek to divide us,” represented by Republican former President Trump.
The Democrats then spoke on their key campaign points, ranging from abortion to the economy to immigration and gun control, while the audience told stories about their own experiences.
Harris, a former prosecutor, also appealed to gun owners, a significant portion of the electorate in a country that has more firearms than people, and called for an end to high-powered assault weapons used in school shootings.
“I’m a gun owner too, if someone broke into my house they’d get shot,” Harris said, laughing, and then added: “I probably shouldn’t have said that … my staff will look into that later.”
WATCH LIVE: Livestream event with Vice President Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey
— Kamla HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 19, 2024
TV superstar Winfrey, who also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, introduced Harris, saying she felt “hope and joy growing.”
Groups such as “Swifties for Harris” (made up of fans of pro-Harris pop star Taylor Swift) and “Cat Ladies for Kamala” (women mocking fellow Trump candidate J.D. Vance’s comments about childless people) listened to the event remotely.
The US election is turning out to be a close contest as Harris and Trump attempt to secure every vote in the 47 days left until polling day.
Harris got a boost from a New York Times/Siena poll that showed her with a slight lead in Pennsylvania, perhaps the most crucial of all decisive states, but surveys also showed her and Trump tied across the country.
His rousing ceremony was in contrast to the dark tone adopted by Trump at an anti-Semitic event held in the capital Washington.
Trump spent much of his time repeating his complaint about the fact that Jewish voters in the United States historically lean toward Democrats.
“If I don’t win this election … I think it will be a great loss to the Jewish people,” Trump said.
Accusing Harris of failing to support Israel after Hamas’ October 7 attacks, Trump said, “I believe it is more important to Israel to defeat them than to any other people on the face of the earth.”
Trump said that “any Jewish person who votes for him … should have their head examined.”
The Gaza war could be important in the elections.
The US “Uncommitted” movement, which opposes the Biden-Harris administration’s military and political support for Israel’s war on Gaza, said on Thursday it would not support Harris in the election.
It also threatens Harris’s narrow lead in Michigan, where there is a large Arab-American community that is against the war.
Meanwhile, Harris’s vice-presidential running mate, Tim Walz, on Thursday met with families of Americans held hostage by Hamas since the attack.
After the meeting, he said Biden and Harris “will continue to do everything we can to bring them back home.”
Trump and Harris are also struggling to get support from American unions.
The powerful Teamsters union on Wednesday declined to endorse any presidential candidate, a blow to Harris given its 25-year tradition of supporting Democrats.
But Harris’ campaign said local Teamsters chapters representing one million people have said they support her.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
