(Bloomberg) -- Vice President Kamala Harris tapped talk-show legend Oprah Winfrey and a bevy of Hollywood A-listers in a push to rally momentum — and money — in a slickly produced virtual town hall Thursday from Michigan.
The event with the Democratic presidential nominee and billionaire media icon featured virtual cameos from celebrities including Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez, and Chris Rock — while also including ordinary Americans whose families had been rocked by abortion rights restrictions or gun violence.
The effort was designed to appeal to undecided voters while rallying partisan supporters to organize and donate.
“This is the moment for all decent people, all caring people who want the best for yourself and you want the best for other people,” Winfrey said. “This is the moment for people who are tired of all of the bickering and all of the name calling, people who are exhausted by the craziness and the made up stories and the conspiracies.”
Harris broke little new ground throughout the evening, largely echoing previous pledges to offer more generous tax credits to new businesses, push forward on a bipartisan immigration package that so far has been rejected by most congressional Republicans, and restore federal abortion rights.
But the forum did provide more of a window into the personality of the vice president, who has largely forgone media interviews in the sprint to Election Day. At one point, Harris drew laughter as she riffed on her revelation during the presidential debate that she herself was a gun owner.
“If someone breaks in my house, they’re getting shot,” Harris said. “I probably shouldn’t have said that — my staff will deal with that later.”
Earlier, Winfrey probed Harris over her apparent transformation since President Joe Biden announced his departure from the race, noting the vice president — who previously had been dogged by low approval ratings and criticism over her political acumen — seemed like she had emerged from behind a veil.
‘Time to Step Up’
“We each have a moment in our lives when it’s time to step up,” Harris said.
And actress Meryl Streep asked Harris how she would respond if her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, once again sought to overturn the results of the election.
Harris said she believed that most Americans saw election denialism as a “bridge too far” but nevertheless said her team was preparing for all possibilities.
“The lawyers are working. It’s very important that we all speak to our friends and neighbors about misinformation,” Harris said, encouraging supporters to stand up for the integrity of poll workers.
“We will be ready,” she added.
Personal Stories
Members of the in-person and virtual audiences asked pre-screened questions that teed up responses from Harris on inflation, housing and immigration — critical issues in the election.
As Winfrey often did on her talk show, she asked people in the crowd to share their personal stories. The mother of Amber Nicole Thurman, a 28-year-old woman who died after she couldn’t access a legal abortion, said her daughter “was not a statistic” but a real person. “You’re looking at a mother that is broken. The worst pain that a mother, that a parent, could ever feel.”
Winfrey framed the issue bluntly, saying “the government has no right to be in your womb.”
Harris said Thurman’s death was preventable, noting that Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court who he believed would overturn Roe v. Wade’s federal abortion protections.
The event was held in Michigan — one of the three critical “Blue Wall” states central to Democrats’ hopes — and drew hundreds of thousands of viewers across social media channels. The state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, was in the audience, urging those watching to get out to vote.
The event was coordinated with Win With Black Women, which attracted national attention in July for bringing together Harris supporters the night after Biden exited the race to quickly raise $1.6 million. Harris campaign chairwoman Jen O’Malley Dillon was on hand, and was recognized by Winfrey to direct viewers to the campaign’s fundraising website.
While Harris has many prominent surrogates, including former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, Winfrey has the advantage of being seen as less partisan. In her speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, where she endorsed Harris, Winfrey said she is a registered independent and emphasized the nominee’s character more than her policy positions.
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