Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey delivered an electrifying speech at the Democratic National Convention Wednesday, sharing a message to independent voters ahead of the 2024 election and taking jabs at Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance.
"I have actually traveled this country from the redwood forest - love those redwoods - to the Gulf Stream waters. 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, but more often than not, what I've witnessed and experienced are human beings, both conservative and
liberal, who may not agree with each other, but who still help you in a heartbeat," Winfrey said. "If you are in trouble, these are the people who make me proud to say that I am an American. They are the best of America. And despite what some would have you think. 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. And if the past place happens to belong to a childless cat lady. Well, we try to get that cat out too."
The comment marked a reference to remarks from Vance, who, in 2021 on Tucker Carlson's Fox News show, referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as one of the “childless cat ladies” running the nation who “want to make the rest of the country miserable too."
Winfrey, a registered independent, is making a direct appeal to unaffiliated and undecided voters to back Harris, saying, “Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024.”
“Character and values matter most of all," she said.
Winfrey played to the theme of the evening: "A Fight for Our Freedoms."
Speaking of freedom, she said “every now and then, it requires standing up to life’s bullies.”
Local
Winfrey closed with a resounding shout of “Let us choose Kamala Harris!” in tones she once used to open her talk show in Chicago.
Winfrey is no stranger to political endorsements. She delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
She also endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, and endorsed Sen. John Fetterman over Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
Following the conclusion of her show in May 2011, she has participated in a wide variety of philanthropic and business ventures, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Obama in 2013.
