Oprah Winfrey hosted a star-studded town hall in support of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris Thursday night. Among attendees was Meryl Streep, who greeted Harris with a jubilant, “Hello, President Harris!” before she caught herself. A smiling Harris said back, “47 days!”
The event was also attended by Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Lopez and Julia Roberts.
Winfrey kicked off the event by asking Harris how she felt when Biden announced his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Harris admitted she “felt a sense of responsibility” following his decision, because “there’s so much at stake.”
The pair also spoke to members of the audience about topics including abortion and gun violence. The family of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died soon after Georgia’s abortion ban went into effect this year, were in attendance. Harris insisted that Thurman’s death could have been prevented and was due to policies that “criminalize health-care providers . . . for a doctor or nurse who provides health care.”
Harris also emphasized her support of the Second Amendment and shared that she owns a gun. “If somebody breaks in my house, they’re getting shot,” she added. “I probably should not have said that. My staff will deal with that later.”
Ross entertained the audience when she enthusiastically greeted Harris, “Hi, hello, Madame Vice President. It’s just an honor. I’ve actually never met you, which is crazy” before she added in a lower voice, “Hi, Oprah.”
As the audience and Harris laughed, Ellis asked, “Wait, what did I miss?”
“We just saw each other the other day,” Winfrey explained. “Oh, hi, Tracee. Hi.”
You can watch the town hall in the video above.
