Oprah Winfrey sang Vice President Kamala Harris’ name and took a ‘childless cat lady’ swipe at J.D. Vance during a Wednesday night appearance at the Democratic National Convention.
Winfrey was a late add to the schedule, but with her Chicago ties and previous endorsements of Democratic presidential candidates of color, her attendance should have been anticipated.
The longtime talk show host entered the United Center announcing: ‘Who said you can’t go home again!’
She said she remained a political ‘independent’ but asked independents and undecided voters to back Harris.
‘We are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,’ she said, comments clearly aimed at Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump. ‘These are complicated times, and they require adult conversations.’
In response, the Trump War Room X account posted a doting letter Winfrey had penned to Trump in the year 2000.
Oprah Winfrey sang Vice President Kamala Harris’ name and took a ‘childless cat lady’ swipe at J.D. Vance during a Wednesday night appearance at the Democratic National Convention
In response, the Trump War Room X account posted a doting letter Winfrey had penned to Trump in the year 2000.
Donald Trump (left) and Oprah Winfrey (right) are photographed together in 1988
‘Donald,’ the 24-year-old note said. ‘I received the book excerpt. I have to tell you, your comments made me a little weepy.’
‘It’s one thing to try and live a life of integrity – still another to have people like yourself notice,’ Winfrey said. ‘Too bad we’re not running for office, what a team!’
While Trump had long talked about at some point jumping into politics, Winfrey stayed sidelined until the 2008 cycle when she endorsed then Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential run against a number of more seasoned Democrats, including then Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Two economists at the time estimated that Winfrey’s endorsement potentially boosted Obama’s performance in the hard-fought primary against Clinton by 1 million votes.
Meanwhile Trump, eying a potential 2012 run, pushed the so-called ‘birther’ theory – that Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii, but abroad. Obama was eventually forced to release his long-form birth certificate.
Winfrey later endorsed Clinton when she was up against Trump in 2016, but didn’t hit the campaign trail.
This year, the talk show great was hesitant to join the political fray, her best friend CBS’ Gayle King said, but decided to get off the bench.
Oprah Winfrey was reportedly hesitant to reenter the political fray, but that reluctance was not apparent during her Wednesday night Democratic National Convention speech
Oprah Winfrey raises her hands to the crowd as she addresses the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where her long-running daytime television show was based
Oprah Winfrey sang Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris’ name at the end of ther Democratic National Convention speech in trademark Oprah fashion
That reluctance wasn’t apparent during her remarks.
‘After watching the Obamas last night, that was some epic fire,’ she said. ‘We’re now so fired up you can’t wait to leave here and do something.’
‘And what we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States,’ Winfrey offered.
She said there are ‘few’ who view the country as ‘us versus them’ and believe ‘books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe.’
‘That there’s a right way to worship and a wrong way to love,’ she continued.
‘People that seem first to divide and then to conquer,’ Winfrey added. ‘But, here’s the thing, when we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us.’
She quoted the late civil rights leader, Democratic Rep. John Lewis.
‘He said no matter what ship our ancestors arrived on, we are all on the same boat now,’ Winfrey said.
Winfrey talked about all the states she had lived in during her career in TV.
‘I have actually traveled this country from the redwood forest , love those redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters,’ she said.
‘I’ve seen racism and sexism and income inequality and division, I’ve not only seen it, at times, I’ve been on the receiving end of it,’ she continued. ‘But more often than not, what I have witnessed and experienced, are human beings, both conservative and liberal, who may not agree with each other, but who would still help you in a heartbeat if you were in trouble.’
She pointed out that ‘we are not so different from our neighbors.
‘When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion, we don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted, no, we just try to do the best we can to save them,’ she said.
‘And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady,’ Winfrey continued. ‘Well, we try and get that cat out too,’ she said to laughs and applause.
Despite her partisan slaps, Winfrey told the crowd that she still identified as an ‘independent.’
‘Now there’s a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time we’ll never have to do it again,’ she said. ‘You’re looking at a registered independent who is proud to vote again and again because I’m an American and that’s what Americans do.’
‘Voting is the best of America,’ she said. ‘And I have always, since I was eligible to vote, I’ve always voted my values. So that is what is needed in this election now more than ever.’
‘So I’m calling on all you independents and all you undecideds,’ Winfrey added.
She encouraged them to vote for the Democratic ticket because it stood for ‘decency and respect.’
‘But more than anything else, let us choose freedom. Why? Because that’s the best of America,’ Winfrey said. ‘We’re all Americans and together let’s all choose Kamala Harrisssss,’ she said, sing-songing the Democratic nominee’s name.
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