Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday to discuss her plans for the economy, abortion rights and gun control, The Detroit News reported.
The 90-minute event just outside Detroit, Michigan, opened with the renowned television personality telling the audience she was there “because I care deeply about the future of our country.” The conversation touched on a range of issues, including poverty and struggles to attain the “American dream,” which Harris said has been “elusive” for many.
The event, before a live audience of about 400 people, in addition to thousands who tuned in virtually, comes at a critical time in the race, with the vice president and her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, locked in a virtual dead-heat with just a few weeks to go before the November election.
“My approach is about lifting you up,” Harris told Winfrey. Trump, by contrast, “would be about actually weakening our economy.”
The event invited audience participation and featured celebrity cameos such as Julia Roberts and Chris Rock. One young woman expressed concerns with the cost of living, saying: “Everything is so expensive”; a couple described how they had to move in with their parents to save for a home. The Democratic nominee responded by highlighting her plan to provide first-time home buyers with $25,000 in down-payment assistance, The Washington Post reported.