Kamala Harris/ Oprah Winfrey/ 2024 election/ digital strategy/ middle-class tax cuts/ abortion rights/ gun control/ FARMINGTON HILLS/ Mich./ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Vice President Kamala Harris joined Oprah Winfrey for a livestream event aimed at engaging voters and promoting key issues like abortion rights, gun control, and middle-class tax cuts. The 90-minute “Unite for America” event, streamed across social media platforms, featured both celebrities and ordinary voters, focusing on Harris’ campaign and contrasting her vision with Donald Trump’s.
“Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey Quick Looks”:
- Harris and Oprah hosted a digital “Unite for America” livestream, reaching over 300,000 viewers.
- Celebrities like Bryan Cranston and Jennifer Lopez joined, alongside everyday voters sharing personal stories.
- Key issues discussed: abortion rights, gun violence, and middle-class cost reduction.
- Harris emphasized her gun ownership while advocating for restrictions on assault rifles.
- The event reflects Harris’ digital-first media strategy, focusing on engaging voters online.
Harris & Oprah Unite in Digital Strategy to Rally Middle-Class Voters
Deep Look:
Vice President Kamala Harris sought to galvanize support from key voter demographics Thursday night through a highly-publicized livestream event with media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Hosted from Farmington Hills, Michigan, the 90-minute event titled “Unite for America” combined star power, personal testimonials, and policy discussions as part of Harris’ strategy to reach persuadable and less-engaged voters online. With over 300,000 viewers tuning in on YouTube alone, the event also streamed across multiple social media platforms, reinforcing Harris’ digital-first campaign approach.
The event took place in one of the election’s pivotal battleground states—Michigan—where Harris is working to draw a sharp contrast between her vision and that of the GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump. While the event featured big-name celebrities like Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Lopez, and Meryl Streep, it also included powerful stories from everyday people directly impacted by key issues such as abortion access and gun violence. These personal stories served to emphasize Harris’ platform while underscoring the tangible effects of her policy priorities.
During the event, Harris focused on her plans to cut costs for middle-class families, restore national abortion rights, and tackle gun violence. Winfrey, a cultural icon with significant influence, skillfully guided the conversation, tapping into the style of her long-running talk show, which once propelled books and products to bestseller status and brought both celebrities and ordinary people into the spotlight.
“We each have those moments in our lives when it’s time to step up,” Harris said when Winfrey asked her about becoming the Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden’s sudden withdrawal from the race in July. Harris described the shift as an awakening of purpose, with Winfrey noting that Harris had “stepped into your power” as the nation’s first Black woman presidential nominee.
In a particularly candid moment, Harris surprised Winfrey by revealing that she owns a gun, saying, “If somebody’s breaking into my house, they’re gettin’ shot.” The remark drew a startled reaction from Winfrey and highlighted Harris’ nuanced position on gun ownership, even as she strongly advocated for restrictions on assault rifles. She clarified her stance, stating that military-style weapons designed for battle “don’t belong on the streets of a civil society.”
Throughout the livestream, Harris answered questions from voters in Michigan and Virginia, discussing her plans to reduce housing costs and lower taxes for the middle class. She also engaged with personal stories from audience members. One such story came from Hadley Duvall, a 22-year-old woman who became an abortion rights advocate after surviving childhood sexual abuse. “You can’t wait until it’s too late to care about reproductive healthcare, because then it’s too late,” Duvall said. She is featured in a new Harris campaign ad, which highlights her experience and the stakes surrounding abortion rights in the U.S.
The event took a particularly emotional turn when Harris and Winfrey welcomed the family of Amber Thurman, a Georgia mother who died from complications related to an abortion pill. Thurman’s death occurred shortly after Georgia enacted a strict abortion ban following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. ProPublica first reported the story earlier this week. Shanette Williams, Thurman’s mother, recounted the family’s helplessness, saying they would have done anything to save their daughter. Harris, in turn, used the example to condemn the “healthcare crisis” created by restrictive abortion laws, while Winfrey emotionally declared, “They have no right to be in your womb.”
Gun violence also featured prominently in the event’s discussions, with a personal story shared by the parents of Natalie Griffith, a high school student shot twice at Apalachee High School in Georgia. The fear and anguish expressed by her mother, Marilda Griffith, brought home the human toll of gun violence in America. Through tears, Marilda described rushing to her daughter’s school after hearing about the shooting, calling on federal authorities to do more to curb such tragedies.
Harris used the opportunity to highlight her broader gun-control policies, explaining that while she supports gun ownership, she believes military-style assault rifles should be off-limits to civilians. “These weapons were designed to kill as many people as possible on a battlefield,” she said, reaffirming her commitment to tightening gun laws.
The “Unite for America” event represented a key part of Harris’ strategy to connect with voters through more casual and controlled digital spaces. This approach has been central to her campaign, as Harris has limited her interactions with traditional media outlets, preferring direct engagement with voters online. Her digital-first approach is designed to reach the growing number of Americans who consume their news via social media and other digital platforms.
The event’s format featured a stage that resembled a college campus, with an in-the-round setup, faux brick pillars, and greenery under the chairs of the live audience. Dozens of supporters were also featured via video screens, representing a broad swath of the American electorate. At one point, comedian Chris Rock made an appearance, joking that he wanted to bring his daughters to the White House to meet the first Black woman president.
Harris’ digital strategy has drawn inspiration from grassroots groups that rallied behind her following Biden’s departure from the race. These include “Black Women for Harris,” “White Dudes for Harris,” and even “Swifties for Harris,” a group inspired by pop star Taylor Swift’s fanbase. The campaign event made direct calls for volunteers to join the effort, urging viewers to knock on doors and make calls to help drive voter turnout.
Winfrey closed the event by appealing to “all decent people” to support Harris in the upcoming election, saying of Trump, “We’re better than this.”
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