Oprah Winfrey riled up the crowd of Democrats with a surprise appearance, offering a full-throated endorsement of Harris.
“We’re now so fired up, we can’t wait to leave here and do something,” she said. “And what we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harria as the next president of the United States.”
Winfrey warned of politicians who are seeking to sow division in the country and push a message of fear, but encouraged Americans to come together in unity.
“When we stand together, it is impossible to conquer us,” she said.
Winfrey invoked the late Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a Democrat who was a civil rights activist, in speaking of the continued effort to protect freedom.
“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, well, we try to get the cat out too.”
Winfrey’s comment was a reference to television remarks Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance made in 2021 lamenting that the country is run by a “bunch of childless cat ladies.”
The iconic talk show host accused Trump of using “old tricks and tropes” to distract Americans.
“But we are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,” she said. “These are complicated times and they require adult conversations.”
Winfrey’s speech evoked emotion from convention attendees, as cameras showed delegates wiping tears and breaking out into chants of “U-S-A.”
“Soon, very soon, we’re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic immigrants — immigrants — how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States,” she said. “That is the best of America.”
Winfrey rebuked Trump’s comments about elections to demonstrate the importance of voting, and made a direct appeal to independent and undecided voters: “You know I’m telling you the truth that values and character matter most of all in leadership and in life.”
She said “decency and respect,” as well as common sense are on the ballot in November.
“We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual because that’s the best of America. Let us choose optimism over cynicism because that’s the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution, let us choose common sense over nonsense because that’s the best of America. And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday,” she said.
Winfrey continued: “We won’t go back. We won’t be set back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back, we’re not going back. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor and let us choose joy because that’s the best of America.”
She concluded with a push for voters to elect Harris as the next president in November.