Joy, tears as Oprah Winfrey puts full support behind VP Kamala Harris in Michigan

(This story was updated to add new information.)

FARMINGTON HILLS ― No one got a car. But megastar Oprah Winfrey tried to give some inspiration to supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris Thursday night who joined the unusual virtual campaign event featuring members of a live studio audience personally impacted by a range of weighty issues from abortion bans to school shootings.

Mashups of social media videos promoting Harris and appeals from celebrities tuning in to the event remotely interspersed those tearful stories. But there was a lot of excitement in the room, too.

"There's been so much talk about that word joy, and I think it's such a good thing because it means that there is a real feeling of optimism and hope," Winfrey told the crowd.

The event live streamed from a studio but still had some signs of a more traditional Democratic campaign rally. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took the stage to remind voters they’re staring down a close race between Harris and former President Donald Trump in the battleground state. But other Michigan politicians didn’t join her as they usually would, sitting instead in the studio audience.

Surrounding the roughly 400 attendees were six giant televisions featuring the screens of the thousands joining remotely from their living rooms, according to Winfrey who called it “the largest Zoom call we’ve all ever had.”

Watch replay: Oprah hosts 'Unite for America' event with Kamala Harris

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The TV host billed the event as a way to build on the momentum of various affinity groups that have mobilized online for Harris to bolster her truncated bid for the White House launched after President Joe Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed her.

Harris’ campaign has leaned on the support of virtual gatherings such as those hosted by Win With Black Women and White Dudes for Harris where supporters have rallied around the vice president and opened their wallets to give to her campaign.

Winfrey called on some of the organizers of those grassroots groups in the studio audience to talk about their mobilization efforts while Winfrey — speaking under a “Unite for America” banner — called on everyone to come together with the singular goal of electing Harris on Nov. 5.

More: Gun-owner Kamala Harris says 'they're getting shot' if intruder breaks into her house

When Harris took the stage, Winfrey shared her observation that the vice president appeared to make a shift when Biden dropped out, pretending to be Harris as she walked around the stage with a swagger.

“What happened to you?” Winfrey asked.

“You know we each have those moments in our lives when it’s time to step up,” Harris said. “This is so much bigger than me, it’s about who we are as Americans.”

Winfrey then facilitated questions from the audience and those tuning in virtually touching on a range of subjects from immigration to cost of living and gave Harris a chance to lay out her plans to address each.

More: Celebrities, tears, guns: 3 takeaways from Oprah, Harris Michigan livestream

But then Winfrey turned the mic over for some audience members to share their stories, including a survivor of a recent school shooting outside Atlanta and the family members of a Georgia woman who died after doctors delayed abortion care, according to ProPublica reporting.

Harris was last in Michigan for a Labor Day campaign event in Detroit in which she vowed to support legislation giving workers more power to organize. Harris' visit to the battleground Thursday comes after former President Donald Trump and his running mate Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance made separate appearances in the state earlier this week.

Trump’s campaign blasted Harris’ appearance in Michigan ahead of the event. “It's clear Kamala Harris has no idea how to tackle our economic crisis - her policies got Michiganders into this mess, and she's offered no plan on how to fight inflation. Well, we're sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you can't lower inflation by hiding goodie bags under chairs,” said Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita in a statement.

While those in the crowd didn’t walk away with anything tangible, Winfrey urged them to think of themselves each as their grassroots organization to fight for Harris in the final days of the campaign

Contact Clara Hendrickson at [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Oprah Winfrey hosts Kamala Harris livestream from Michigan