Vice President Kamala Harris harnessed the star power of one of her most powerful surrogates — and one of America’s foremost interviewers — to lay out a powerful pitch for her campaign on Thursday, as she passionately confronted pressing issues during a livestream forum with Oprah Winfrey.
The event, “Unite for America,” was hosted by Ms. Winfrey and drew hundreds of thousands of viewers, bolstering a strategy that Ms. Harris’s campaign sees as crucial to reaching voters in battleground states and beyond in November.
The event brought together members of over 100 online groups that have coalesced around Ms. Harris since she became the Democratic nominee, including White Dudes for Harris, Cat Ladies for Kamala and Latinas for Harris. Also joining virtually were celebrities that included Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Lopez, Tracee Ellis Ross and Meryl Streep.
But the most remarkable moments in the roughly 90-minute forum came when Ms. Winfrey did what she does best: orchestrating an interview that connects with everyday Americans whose experiences illustrate the strife of a country craving empathy. The discussions were heavy at times, with members of the audience — in person and at home — in tears.
Ms. Harris has not often spoken off the cuff or at length about many issues since she catapulted to the top of the ticket after President Biden dropped out of the race. Here she addressed questions from the audience and Ms. Winfrey about issues like immigration and gun violence, and what would happen if her opponent, former President Donald J. Trump, didn’t accept the results of the election should he lose a second time.
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