At Emotional Event With Oprah, Kamala Harris Hits Core Campaign Themes

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke off the cuff, as guests included a teenager shot at her school and the family of a woman in Georgia who died as a result of the state’s abortion ban.

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Harris Joins Oprah at Michigan Campaign Event

The vice president answered questions from the audience, detailing her position on issues like immigration and gun control.

“Thanks for joining us. Everybody on screen. Thank you. Thanks for joining us for this very special event, ‘Unite for America.’” “What would be your specific steps to strengthening the border?” “I take very seriously the importance of having a secure border. When the United States Congress, members of the Congress, including some of the most conservative Republicans, came up with a border security bill, Donald Trump called up those folks and said, ‘Don’t put that bill on the floor for a vote.’” “Will you reintroduce that?” “Absolutely, and when I am elected president of the United States, I will make sure that bill gets to my desk and I will sign it into law.” “Where were you physically shot?” “I was shot right here on my shoulder and then around here.” “The wrist.” “I’m in favor of the Second Amendment, and I’m in favor of assault weapons bans, universal background checks, red flag laws. These are just common sense.” “I thought it was so powerful at the convention when you said you have guns. No, at the debate. At the debate —” “I’m a gun owner. Tim Walz is a gun —” “I did not know that.” “If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot. Sorry.” “Yes, yes, I hear that. I hear that.” “Probably should not have said that, but my staff will deal with that later.”

The vice president answered questions from the audience, detailing her position on issues like immigration and gun control.Credit

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.

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Ms. Harris listening to Shanette Williams, the mother of Amber Thurman, the 28-year-old Georgia woman who died after waiting 20 hours for a hospital to treat her complications from an abortion pill.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

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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