(Farmington Hills) American television pope Oprah Winfrey demonstrated on Thursday her ability to mobilize both stars and social networks, by welcoming Kamala Harris to a gala set entirely devoted to the Democratic presidential candidate.
The massive support event, held in the highly contested state of Michigan for the November 5 election, was broadcast live online on multiple platforms.
Oprah, who many in the United States call only by her first name, had brought together a host of stars for the occasion, who spoke via screen, via teleconference: singer Jennifer Lopez, actresses Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Tracee Ellis Ross, comedian Chris Rock, and actors Bryan Cranston and Ben Stiller.
Enough to attract tens of millions of viewers, who had the choice of following this grandiose campaign talk show called “Unite for America” on the YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or Twitch accounts of one or the other of the two women.
The Oprah Effect
Oprah Winfrey, who has long been close to the Democratic Party, made a notable appearance at the Chicago convention in August which placed Kamala Harris in the starting blocks of the race for the White House.
PHOTO PAUL SANCYA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey
The American vice president knows how beneficial the support of this businesswoman turned billionaire, a familiar embodiment of the American dream, and whose influence remains considerable in the United States, can be to her. So much so that millions of Americans once considered the host as presidential.
In the presence of this cultural icon, Kamala Harris called for unity “in the face of the powerful forces that want to divide us”, thus targeting her Republican rival Donald Trump.
He was in Washington at the same time, where he addressed a pro-Israel organization at a rally to combat anti-Semitism.
Accusing Kamala Harris of failing to defend Israel after the deadly attack of unprecedented scale by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, Mr. Trump assured that it was in Israel’s interest for her to be defeated in the presidential election.
“Any Jewish person who votes for her should have their head examined,” the Republican added.
The 59-year-old Democrat, for her part, answered a series of questions very favourably posed by Oprah Winfrey, 70, on topics such as immigration, the cost of living and abortion.
Harris army
PHOTO PAUL SANCYA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kamala Harris
In an emotional moment, the candidate hugged 15-year-old student Natalie Griffith, who was seriously injured when a 14-year-old student opened fire at their school near Atlanta, killing four people on September 4.
Mme Harris confirmed that she has a gun in her home. “If someone breaks into my house, they’re going to get shot,” she said, before laughing: “I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
Speaker in ZoomMeryl Streep has said she is worried about the danger that Donald Trump will again refuse to recognize his possible defeat at the polls, as he did four years ago.
“I wonder if we’re 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.