In an effort to unite voters and surge turnout for the 2024 election, Vice President Kamala Harris and media mogul Oprah Winfrey hosted a virtual event in battleground Michigan on Sept. 19.
Filmed from a studio in Farmington Hills and live-streamed online, their “Unite for America” featured personal stories related to the issues Harris champions, including abortion access and ending gun violence. She also fielded questions on immigration and the rising cost of living.
The 90-minute event showcased more than 140 pro-Harris grassroots groups appearing virtually to appeal to undecided voters in key battleground states and throughout the country.
“Tonight is all about leaving this moment here and figuring out what it is you can do in your own home in your own community, in your own district to spread the word and spread the vote,” Winfrey told the audience.
“It’s tied right here in Michigan. It’s tied in all the battleground states. So it’s going to take all of us to build a pathway, many pathways, to 270 electoral votes. That’s what we’re focused on,” O'Malley Dillon said.
Tracey Ly, a regional organizing director for the Nevada Democratic Party, appeared by video and said the evening was about getting as many voters active as possible in what is still a razor-thin election.
By the end of the stream, more than 300,000 viewers were watching from home. Attendees in studio included actors Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, and Meryl Streep appearing via webcam.
Along with the grassroots organizations, the celebrities were stumping for Harris and urging any remaining undecided voters to support the vice president.
“I do know that I’m in a position to do something about it, so I felt a great responsibility and the incredible power of the people,” Harris said.
“We’re all leaders in this. This is so much bigger than me. It’s about who we are as Americans, and it’s about making clear what we stand for,” Harris added.
Harris answered questions on immigration and the rising cost of living.
When asked how she would solve the country’s illegal immigration crisis, Harris blamed Trump for telling congressional Republicans to vote against the failed bipartisan border bill and reiterated her intention to pursue the legislation if elected.
Trump in February criticized the proposed border deal as “horrendous,” objecting to a provision that gives border-shutdown authority only after an average of 4,000 to 5,000 encounters with illegal immigrants per day.
“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill, which only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to close the border now, which must be done,” he said in a Feb. 5 post on Truth Social.
While discussing her stance on guns, Harris pushed for gun control laws and confirmed that she supports the Second Amendment.
Winfrey said she was surprised when Harris revealed during the ABC debate with Trump that she owned a gun.
“If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot,” Harris said in response. “I probably should not have said that; my staff will deal with that later.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also appeared and underscored the state’s critical battleground status in the race for the Electoral College.
“I think we’ve got to do the hard work. In 2016, we were short 11,000 votes. That’s two votes per precinct, which tells you that a conversation you have with a loved one or a neighbor or a fellow parishioner, whomever in your life you can talk to, we’ve got to do it,” the governor said.
For decades, the Wolverine State has been part of the “blue wall” of northern states—along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania—that has leaned toward Democrats in presidential races. Trump broke the “blue wall” in 2016 and won Michigan by less than half a percent of the vote, but Biden clinched the state in 2020 with a margin of more than 2 percent.
Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), have made repeat campaign stops in Michigan since the Republican National Convention in July, underscoring the state’s importance in winning the White House.
