Cost Of Harris Event Stirs Discussion
A recent report has shed light on the staggering expenses incurred by Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, revealing that the price tag for an Oprah Winfrey-hosted town hall event was much higher than initially disclosed.
According to FEC filings, Harris’ campaign made two separate payments of $500,000 to Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions, in mid-October. However, sources close to the campaign now suggest the full cost of the event was closer to $2.5 million. This revelation has come to symbolize a campaign characterized by high spending and dwindling financial returns, leaving the Democratic Party in serious debt and donors questioning how funds were allocated.
Throughout her 15-week campaign, Harris’ team reportedly burned through $1.5 billion—equivalent to $100 million per week. The campaign’s financial habits have raised eyebrows among Democratic donors and party officials, especially given that the Democratic Party now faces a $20 million debt tied to the Harris campaign.
The scale of spending was unprecedented, and as Harris’ poll numbers stagnated, reports show that her team continued with luxury spending choices, pouring significant funds into high-end purchases, travel, and celebrity engagements.
The campaign’s extravagant expenditures included more than $2.6 million on private jets over just a two-week period in October, and nearly $900,000 on ad space at the Las Vegas Sphere in the final days of the race—a state Harris ultimately lost by three points.
Other expenses raised questions as well. For example, her team reportedly spent close to $9,000 on premium ice cream from shops like Sweet Lucy’s and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, as well as nearly $15,000 on food delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash.
A significant portion of the budget was directed toward high-profile appearances and influencer partnerships, aimed at increasing Harris’ visibility and appeal. The town hall event with Oprah Winfrey was a centerpiece of this strategy, intended to attract media attention and bolster her campaign’s reach. Oprah, for her part, insisted she received “nothing” personally from the campaign.
While Winfrey did not take a personal fee, Harpo Productions later acknowledged that the payments went toward covering “production costs” associated with the event.
As news of these expenses has come to light, some Democratic donors have reportedly grown frustrated with ongoing donation requests, especially as the campaign spending figures appear to reflect priorities that didn’t necessarily translate to voter support. The campaign’s significant outlay on celebrity events and social media influencers was aimed at revitalizing Harris’ image, but ultimately fell short as she trailed President-elect Donald Trump in key states.