US: Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey host star-studded rally

US Vice President Kamala Harris held a star-studded rally hosted by talk show star Oprah Winfrey on Thursday, as early in-person voting kicks off in several states ahead of the main election day in November.

Hollywood stars Jennifer Lopez, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, and Ben Stiller voiced support for Harris remotely at the "Unite for America" event.

What did Kamala tell Oprah?

Winfrey asked Harris about an apparent surge in confidence after she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee.

"We each have those moments in our lives when you have to step up," the 59-year-old Harris replied.

"I felt a sense of responsibility, to be honest with you, and with that comes a sense of purpose."

Winfrey told Harris it looked as if a "veil dropped" and remarked that it appeared she had "stepped into your power."

Harris also spoke about her campaign points, including abortion to economy and immigration, as she faced relatively friendly questioning from Winfrey.

Winfrey, who also spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, said as she introduced Harris she felt "hope and joy rising."

Harris also reminded viewers that she was a gun owner, saying, "If somebody's breaking into my house they're gettin' shot." Quickly, she added, "I probably shouldn't have said that."

During the event, actor Chris Rock said he hoped to introduce his daughters to Harris if she wins.

"I want to bring my daughters to the White House to meet this Black woman president," he said.

Actor Bryan Cranston, best known for his part as Walter White in the series "Breaking Bad," said he had not felt so much optimism in a long time.

"I'm just so appreciative of Kamala to be able to bring back that sense of optimism and to squish the cynicism and the vitriol and the rancor that  just seems to be floating all around Washington."

Trump-Harris race remains tight

The US election is on a knife edge as Harris and former US President Donald Trump compete for votes in vital swing states with 47 days left until polling day.

Harris received a boost from the York Times/Siena poll showing her well ahead in Pennsylvania, which is probably the most crucial of the makeweight states, carrying a significant number of college votes.

Friday saw the beginning of early in-person voting for the 2024 US presidential election in Virginia, South Dakota and Minnesota, the home state of Harris' running mate, Governor Tim Walz.

Those votes come just over six weeks before election day on November 5. A dozen more states are set to follow with early in-person voting by mid-October.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Trump said on Thursday that Jewish-American voters would be partly to blame if he loses the election.

In comments to the Israeli-American Council National Summit in Washington, Trump lamented a poll that showed he was trailing Harris among American Jews.

"If I don't win this election — and the Jewish people would really have a lot to do with that if that happens because if 40%, I mean, 60% of the people are voting for the enemy — Israel, in my opinion, will cease to exist within two years," Trump told the crowd.

rc/ab (AP, Reuters)