Chicago Tribune Does Write Up On Campaign Payment

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Ah, the tangled web of Hollywood politics and campaign cash—this time starring none other than Oprah Winfrey and Vice President Kamala Harris. The hometown Chicago Tribune isn’t holding back, calling out Oprah for her $1 million “fee” to stage a glitzy town hall for Harris. Oprah, of course, insists she didn’t pocket a cent, clarifying that the money went to her company, Harpo Productions, to pay the staff and stage the event. Nice try, Oprah, but the Tribune isn’t buying it, and honestly, neither are most voters.

The optics here are downright terrible. We’re supposed to believe that one of the richest women in America—who could write a $1 million check in her sleep—had no choice but to bill the campaign to fund a celebrity-stuffed Harris infomercial? The Tribune summed it up perfectly: Oprah should’ve covered the costs herself. After all, isn’t she Harris’s friend? Asking for a cool million in “production fees” from a struggling campaign is a bit rich, no pun intended.

And speaking of that production, it featured Hollywood heavyweights like Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lopez. Because nothing says “relatable leadership” like a lineup of multi-millionaires fawning over each other. Predictably, the event didn’t resonate with the average voter, who, shockingly, isn’t all that interested in hearing Harris share the stage with A-listers. Voters wanted answers, plans, and substance—not star power.

The campaign’s failure to connect wasn’t just a matter of bad optics—it was a colossal waste of resources. Reports claim over $1 billion was blown on the Biden-Harris re-election effort, with $15 million alone spent on production fees like this one. Meanwhile, Trump, known for running lean campaigns, spent a fraction of that and still left Democrats scrambling.

As if the Harpo fee wasn’t enough, the campaign also shelled out $5 million for rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s brief appearance and allegedly lined the pockets of other celebrities like Lizzo and Eminem. But the splashy endorsements didn’t translate into votes. The Tribune blasted Harris’s campaign for relying on “celebrity osmosis,” pointing out that voters didn’t care about glitz; they wanted to know how Harris planned to address kitchen-table issues.

And then there’s the blame game. Biden’s team says Harris’s campaign flopped because of poor management and reckless spending. Harris’s camp counters by blaming Biden’s lackluster debate performance, which they say sunk the ticket before her campaign even got off the ground. The result? It was a disastrous cycle for Democrats that left donors asking, “Where did all the money go?”

Here’s the kicker: if this is how Democrats handle campaign funds, it’s no wonder they struggle to manage the country’s economy.

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