On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris teamed up with Oprah Winfrey for a livestream event called ‘Unite for America,’ part of Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign. The forum attracted significant attention with celebrity appearances from figures like Chris Rock, Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, and Ben Stiller, helping to boost engagement. The event also focused on mobilizing support from battleground states and uniting over 100 online groups backing Harris, including Latinas for Harris, White Dudes for Kamala Harris, and Cat Ladies for Kamala.
Harris used the forum to address two major concerns: immigration and gun violence. She highlighted the strain illegal immigration places on resources and border patrol agents, as well as the rise in fentanyl trafficking. Harris committed to reviving a bill to combat these issues, blaming former President Donald Trump for its previous failure.
On the issue of gun violence, Harris spoke with survivors, including Natalie Griffith, a 15-year-old victim of a school shooting in Georgia. Natalie’s mother’s emotional testimony moved the audience, and Harris reinforced her platform, calling gun violence “a health care crisis.”
Harris reiterated her strong stance on abortion rights, an issue central to her campaign since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. She was joined by the family of Amber Thurman, who died after being denied timely medical care due to her state’s abortion ban. Amber’s mother shared, “Amber was not a statistic…she was loved by a family,” highlighting the devastating personal consequences of restrictive abortion laws.
During the discussion, Meryl Streep raised concerns about former President Donald Trump potentially contesting the results of the 2024 election if he loses, referencing the events of January 6, 2021. Harris reassured the audience that her team is ready, stating, “The lawyers are working.” She also called on the public to combat misinformation, protect poll workers, and exercise their right to vote in the upcoming election.
Throughout the event, Oprah Winfrey guided the conversation, noting a change in Harris since entering the race. Harris candidly admitted feeling a “sense of responsibility” and purpose as part of her campaign. In a lighthearted moment, Harris joked about being a gun owner, saying, “If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot,” before quickly acknowledging, “I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later.”
The event ended with a motivational message from Winfrey, who urged the audience to take action beyond the excitement of the moment. She emphasized, “The rah-rah moment is going to end, and then we need to get to work,” calling for sustained effort in the campaign ahead.
