Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign made headlines for spending big on celebrity endorsements during her 2020 presidential bid, including paying Oprah Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions, $1 million. This payment came after Winfrey hosted a star-studded town hall for Harris and appeared at her final rally. The campaign also spent heavily on other celebrities, including a six-figure investment in a podcast appearance with Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy. Despite these efforts, Harris’s campaign struggled, spending millions without achieving its goal of securing the presidency. The campaign’s heavy investment in celebrities raises questions about the effectiveness of such strategies in modern elections.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign, despite its high-profile support and lavish spending, ultimately fell short of its goal. Among the most notable expenditures was a payment of $1 million made to Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions. This was part of a broader effort to leverage celebrity influence to boost Harris’s chances. According to a report by the Washington Examiner, the payment was made on October 15, 2020, following a town hall that Oprah Winfrey hosted for Harris in September.
Winfrey, who had long been an influential figure in American culture, also made a rare appearance at Harris’s final rally in Philadelphia just before Election Day.
During the rally, Winfrey publicly endorsed Harris, stating, “We’re voting for values and integrity. We’re voting for healing over hate.”
Her support was seen as a major boost, as Oprah’s influence in the political realm was widely recognized, particularly in Democratic circles.
However, Oprah wasn’t the only celebrity the Harris campaign invested in. The Washington Examiner report revealed that the campaign spent a significant sum on a high-profile appearance by Harris on the Call Her Daddy podcast. This podcast, hosted by Alex Cooper, has garnered millions of listeners and was seen as a way to reach a younger demographic. The Harris campaign reportedly spent six figures just to build a set for the interview, which was filmed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C., and released in October 2020.
Despite these high-dollar investments, the strategy didn’t lead to a significant boost in Harris’s polling numbers. According to reports, the Harris campaign also spent millions of dollars in swing states in the final days leading up to the election. A New York Post report revealed that up to $20 million was spent on events and advertisements targeting swing voters. This included star-studded rallies and concerts with performances by artists like Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera, and Lady Gaga in key swing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Nevada. These performances were meant to energize the electorate and drive turnout, but despite the lavish spending, Harris’s campaign still struggled to gain ground against then-President Donald Trump.
The spending raised eyebrows among political analysts, with many questioning the effectiveness of such large investments in celebrity endorsements and events. Republican political strategist Brad Todd criticized the approach, telling the Washington Examiner, “Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate.” Todd emphasized that while advertising and celebrity endorsements might help raise awareness, they aren’t enough to overcome a flawed message or an unpopular political record. “Advertising is a pretty important source of information for swing voters,” Todd said. “It no doubt matters, but it’s not enough. What her campaign was missing was any effort to break with the unpopular administration she has been a part of.”
Critics argued that the massive spending on celebrity events and media appearances might have distracted from more traditional and necessary campaign efforts, such as effective messaging and policy proposals. While celebrities like Oprah and Lady Gaga are undoubtedly powerful figures, their support may not have been enough to sway voters who were disillusioned with the status quo or dissatisfied with Harris’s association with the outgoing Obama administration.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but the campaign’s financial decisions reflect a larger trend in modern politics: the increasing reliance on celebrity endorsements and media strategies to engage voters. While celebrity influence can be powerful, particularly in mobilizing younger voters, it remains unclear whether such high-profile investments can truly influence the outcome of a presidential race.
Despite the millions spent, Harris’s bid for the presidency ultimately faltered. The failure of the campaign to capture the support it needed, despite these lavish expenditures, underscores the difficulty of winning an election in a highly polarized political environment. The 2020 race also revealed the limits of celebrity power, as even the support of icons like Oprah Winfrey couldn’t turn the tide in a deeply divided electorate.
Harris’s campaign spent millions in its attempt to secure a victory, but as political strategist Brad Todd noted, “Money can’t buy you love or a good candidate.” This serves as a reminder that while celebrities can bring attention to a cause or a candidate, it is ultimately the substance of the campaign that determines success.
