Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey on Unite for America: 5 key highlights

On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris joined forces with Oprah Winfrey for a livestream forum titled ‘Unite for America’, aimed at addressing issues that she kinda avoided during ABC's first presidential debate as part of Harris's campaign for the 2024 election.

Here are five key takeaways from the Harris-Oprah's Unite for America:

Star power and strategic outreach

The forum, hosted by Winfrey, served as a major outreach platform for Harris. Celebrities like Chris Rock, Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, and Ben Stiller attended virtually, helping to draw attention to the event.

Harris’s campaign strategically moved to engage voters in battleground states. The event also united members from over 100 online groups supporting Harris, such as White Dudes for Harris, Latinas for Harris, and Cat Ladies for Kamala.

Addressing immigration and gun violence

Harris addressed a variety of pressing issues, speaking more extensively on immigration than in previous appearances. She acknowledged the strain illegal immigration puts on resources, including overwhelmed border patrol agents and the rise in fentanyl trafficking. She vowed to resurrect a bill that could tackle these issues, which she said was blocked by former President Donald Trump.

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On gun violence, Harris met with survivors, including 15-year-old Natalie Griffith, a victim of a recent school shooting in Georgia. Her mother’s emotional recount of the incident brought the crowd to tears. Harris emphasized her gun control platform, stating, “It’s a health care crisis that affects the patient and the profession.”

Highlighting abortion rights

When Harris focused on abortion rights, an issue she has championed since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. She was joined by the family of Amber Thurman, who died after waiting 20 hours for treatment due to her state’s abortion ban.

Thurman’s mother shared, “Amber was not a statistic...she was loved by a family.”

Trump and heightened election security

During the forum, Meryl Streep asked Harris about the possibility of Trump challenging the results of the 2024 election if he loses, similar to the events of January 6, 2021. Harris responded by assuring the audience that her team is prepared, stating, “The lawyers are working.” She also urged citizens to counter misinformation, protect poll workers, and ensure they exercise their right to vote.

Oprah’s influence and Harris’s candid responses

Winfrey guided the conversation and noted a change in Harris since joining the race, asking if the vice president had also felt it. “I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose,” Harris responded.

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Harris also admitted to being a gun owner, joking, “If somebody breaks into my house, they’re getting shot,” before laughing and acknowledging, “I probably should not have said that. But my staff will deal with that later.”

Unite for America ended with a call to action from Winfrey, who reminded the audience, “The rah-rah moment is going to end, and then we need to get to work.”