A Zoom call with celebrities and elected officials raised over $3.7 million for US Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The call, titled ‘White Dudes for Harris’, had over 180,000 participants and included Hollywood stars such as Mark Ruffalo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sean Astin, Mark Hamill and Josh Gad.
Actor Jeff Bridges, best known for his role in the 1998 film ‘The Dude’. The Big Lebowskimade a surprise appearance expressing his support for Kamala Harris, saying, “I’m white, I’m a man, and I’m here for Harris.”
The call, held on Monday evening (local time), lasted more than three hours and was attended by top Democratic officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
The Zoom call saw a mix of humor and serious discussion, with participants taking digs at Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
Governor Walz, Harris’s potential running mate, said it was an opportunity for white men to show that Trump doesn’t represent all white men, while Governor Pritzker joked about joining a call called “Couch Against Trump, better known as CATS,” a reference to Vance’s “childless cat ladies” attack on prominent Democrats.
Actor Josh Gad pointed out that the call for ‘White Dudes for Harris’ was a stark contrast to the testosterone-heavy Republican National Convention. “They have Kid Rock, Kevin Sorbo and a dolphin fan, and we have the Hulk, Samwise Gamzee, Luke Skywalker and Mayor Pete on Zoom,” he said.
The call was part of a series of Zoom gatherings aimed at raising funds and garnering support for Harris following US President Joe Biden’s announcement. Asked to withdraw from the presidential race and supported him.
the last zoom call, Like ‘White Women for Harris’also saw large crowds, with over 164,000 people attending. These events have been attended by celebrities who have previously supported Biden’s campaign, demonstrating the need for Harris to appeal to different segments of the population.
The campaign has welcomed the support, and communications director Michael Tyler said, “Winning campaigns are driven by real, natural support.”
Since becoming the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, Republicans have derided Harris as a “diversity appointee.” They have criticized her focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, suggesting that her political career has been helped by Democratic efforts to promote diversity.