As Twitchy has reported, the Kamala Harris campaign managed to burn through $1 billion in three-and-a-half months just to lose to Donald Trump. Even some top Democrats are questioning Harris’ “$1 billion disaster” of a campaign. And the reports say that the campaign is now $20 million in debt. Everyone wants to know how she blew through so much money in so little time.
We’re not sure how much it cost to have Beyoncé give a four-minute speech about abortion and then not perform. We do know that the campaign splashed out $5 million to have Megan Thee Stallion perform at a rally in Atlanta. (Harris lost Georgia.)
This only cost Kamala Harris $5M. pic.twitter.com/gtF9N8Su3q
— @amuse (@amuse) November 12, 2024
Oprah Winfrey hosted a town hall for Harris in September (complete with a teleprompter), and FEC filings show two payments to her production company, HARPO Productions, totaling $1 million. For her part, Winfrey denies being paid for the event.
🚨 Oprah DENIES Kamala paid her $1M
“Not true… I was paid nothing — ever.” pic.twitter.com/btiyTw2SQe
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 12, 2024
Let’s dig into this. Media, culture, and news nerd says there’s zero evidence that Oprah or any other celebrities were paid to appear at her rallies.
Just zero evidence or reason to believe that Oprah or any celebs got an appearance fee for showing up or performing at campaign events — totally baseless stuff here
— jonathan friedman (@jonfriedman) November 12, 2024
Oprah’s already denied this silliness, it will be verifiable by campaign spending reports, @spectator hasn’t issued any correction (bc it’s not legit), and writer Stephen Miller is a right-wing mouthpiece
Don’t believe silly shit
— jonathan friedman (@jonfriedman) November 12, 2024
Recommended
Community Notes to the rescue:
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
FEC filings show that HARPO Productions, where Oprah Winfrey holds a 90% ownership stake, received two payments totaling $1 million.
There is a difference between paying production costs back to Harpo for what was essentially creating a TV show and paying for Oprah to appear… as this column itself notes. There is indeed no evidence of the latter. Use common sense people!
— jonathan friedman (@jonfriedman) November 12, 2024
Use common sense, people! Oprah didn’t receive a dime for moderating the town hall. The million dollars was paid to Winfrey’s production company to put on the televised town hall. These things cost money. Look at how much Harris spent on a backdrop for her appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
Here are the FEC records I cited. Will wait for your apology and correction https://t.co/QlJ7UMT4Pa pic.twitter.com/h6m9GGe1qd
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 12, 2024
There is no apology forthcoming. Those weren’t appearance fees. They were production fees.
You clearly understand the distinction between costs to produce an event and appearance fees. I specified no evidence of appearance fees, why mislead your audience that I didn’t?
Here’s a back and forth about this already, I don’t need to rehash. https://t.co/4LSMzjRRTS
— jonathan friedman (@jonfriedman) November 12, 2024
A cool million in “production costs”
Even the slimiest of money launderers wouldn’t try to slide that through
— Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (@PalominoOMG) November 12, 2024
A TV show that was essentially an episode of Oprah’s old show does not cost a million dollars to produce.
— Jefferson Bailey (@JeffersonBaile6) November 12, 2024
Do you hear yourself? She walked out on a rally stage and spoke for one minute.
WHAT “production costs”? Keep digging tho.
— KeepCalmAndDrawl ☦️ (@FormerlyFormer) November 12, 2024
You know that is not how it works. Therefore, you are lying by obfuscation. Nobody ever pays me directly. They pay one of my companies, then the company pays me. ALWAYS.
and that is the way it works with Oprah. She is not getting any significant payments directly from anyone.
— __Under Construction ____ (@ReliabilityComp) November 12, 2024
Just like Harry Sisson has never been paid by the DNC to post. His agency pays him.
Interesting deflection.
— Nick Collins 🌪🇺🇸 (@TexasAnvil) November 12, 2024
Or just accept that the whole campaign was a failed con
— Alex The Crusader (@AlexDaCrusader) November 12, 2024
There really is no difference.
— Cyber Natural 🇨🇦 (@CyberNatural_BC) November 12, 2024
Equivocations.
— Kentucky Girl (@Notwokenow) November 12, 2024
There is literally no difference
— Don Ford – The People’s Strategist – (@DonEford) November 12, 2024
So let’s get this straight. Oprah wasn’t paid to put on a TV show for Harris. The production company of which she owns 90 percent was paid exactly $1 million to recoup the production costs of putting on the TV show. Is that the argument here?
This was a plain set with people in the audience. Harris could have just had a regular town hall, like Trump, and have Oprah walk on and endorse. Why have Oprah pay for the show and the set ? There is no way this show would cost one million to produce. Very messy, and entangled
— Beautyinnis (@beautyinnis) November 12, 2024
10 million to Beyoncé.
5 million to Meghan Thee Stallion.
2.3 million to Lizzo
1.8 million to Eminem
Losing the oval and both chambers of Congress to Donald Trump PRICELESS
You can’t buy yourself into the White House. And thank God for that. pic.twitter.com/OoEeKwpZZ6
— Insurrection Barbie (@DefiyantlyFree) November 12, 2024
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