Kamala Harris’ campaign paid Oprah Winfrey $1 million for her involvement in a celebrity town hall and a pre-election rally, part of a record-breaking $1.2 billion campaign expenditure.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Kamala Harris presidential campaign made headlines for its record-breaking expenditures, including a $1 million payment to Oprah Winfrey for her participation in a celebrity town hall and an appearance at Harris’ final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of election day, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Winfrey’s Harpo Productions received the payment on October 15, following the September town hall event where Winfrey endorsed Harris. Winfrey also spoke at the campaign’s last major rally alongside pop stars Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, urging voters to support Harris.
The Harris campaign’s total spending reached an unprecedented $1.2 billion, dwarfing Donald Trump’s comparatively modest $750 million campaign budget. Despite the substantial financial advantage, Harris was decisively defeated in both the electoral college and the popular vote.
Campaign spending included a series of extravagant decisions, such as $100,000 to construct a replica studio for Harris’ appearance on Call Her Daddy, allowing the segment to be filmed in Washington, D.C., rather than Los Angeles. Additionally, nearly $4 million was allocated to recruit social media influencers to promote her campaign.
When factoring in spending by affiliated PACs and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), total Democratic expenditures for the 2024 election cycle reportedly approached $2.3 billion, according to Financial Times. By comparison, Trump’s campaign, Republican PACs, and the RNC collectively raised $1.8 billion.
The combined $3.5 billion spent on the election shattered records, making 2024 the most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history.
Despite outspending Trump by significant margins, the Harris campaign faced crushing defeat. Between July and election day, Harris and her affiliates spent $654 million—57% more than Trump’s $378 million expenditure during the same period.
As the scope of the loss becomes clear, tensions within the Democratic Party have surfaced. Staffers and aides have expressed frustration over the campaign’s inability to convert such substantial resources into a victory.
“How did you spend $1 billion and not win? What the f***?” a former Biden staffer reportedly told The Daily Mail.
With Harris’ loss, the Democratic Party faces questions about campaign strategy and financial management, especially as Republicans appear poised to secure control of both houses of Congress alongside Trump’s presidency.
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