Kamala Harris reportedly paid Oprah Winfrey $1 million for her support during Harris’ unsuccessful presidential campaign, which had a total cost of $1.2 billion.
According to the Washington Examiner, Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s media company, received the payment on October 15, following Winfrey’s hosting of a high-profile town hall for Harris in September.
Winfrey also took part in Harris’ final campaign rally in Philadelphia the night before Election Day, where she was joined by stars like Lady Gaga, Ricky Martin, and Katy Perry, all of whom publicly endorsed Harris.
Oprah Winfrey holds hands with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris after introducing her to speak during a campaign rally outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Philadelphia
According to a report by The Washington Examiner , her campaign had spent six figures on building out the set of the podcast for her small appearance
Event production, like the podcast appearance, was a big spend for the campaign who hosted the likes of Lady Gaga (pictured at Harris’s Philadelphia rally) and Katy Perry on the eve of the election
During her brief seven-minute appearance, Kamala Harris steered clear of the show’s usual sexual content but shared her views on abortion rights and student debt.
The Washington Examiner reported that Harris’ campaign spent six figures to create a set for the podcast, which was filmed inside a hotel room in Washington, D.C. Crews were tasked with replicating the look of the show’s actual set in Los Angeles.
Donald Trump’s team, along with affiliated PACs and the Republican National Committee, raised $1.8 billion for the campaign.
After raising nearly $4.2 billion in total, they spent $3.5 billion on the presidential race, making it the most expensive election in history, according to the analysis.
Despite spending less, Trump decisively defeated Harris in both the electoral and popular vote, a victory the GOP hasn’t seen in decades.
The Examiner examined how the Harris campaign managed to burn through an eye-popping sum, which included expenses like podcast appearances.
According to the outlet, her campaign and its affiliates spent over $654 million from July to Election Day, while Trump spent $378 million—57 percent less than Harris.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris joins US television producer Oprah Winfrey at a ‘Unite for America’ live streaming rally in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on September 19, 2024
While Harris avoided the show’s typically sexual content, she spoke of her take on abortion rights and student debt during the seven minute sit down
The Vice President had sat down with host of the raunchy show Alexandra Cooper, seen here, in October while on the campaign trail
One vendor, Village Marketing Agency, was paid over $3.9 million to recruit social media influencers to enhance Harris’ online presence.
Event production, including the podcast appearance, was another major expense for the campaign, which hosted high-profile figures like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry on the eve of the election.
Federal filings reveal the campaign spent over $15 million on event-related services.
A clearer picture of their actual spending will emerge once the Federal Election Commission requires candidates to submit full reports within 30 days.
As Democrats regroup following their loss to Trump earlier this week, Biden and Harris’ teams are pointing fingers at each other for mishandling campaign funds.
White House and campaign staff are engaged in a fierce blame game, questioning whether the president or vice president truly dropped the ball.
Not only did their campaign end in failure, but to make matters worse, the operation is reportedly in debt—around $20 million, according to Politico.
Biden’s team claims the vice president ran a disastrous three-month campaign, wasting millions of dollars from their top donors.
“How did you spend $1 billion and not win? What the f***?” a former Biden staffer exclaimed, visibly furious over the excuses coming from Harris’ team.
