Media mogul Oprah Winfrey canvassed door-to-door for Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Thursday, hours after delivering a racially charged speech at a campaign rally.
Footage uploaded to social media showed Oprah Winfrey knocking on the door of one woman’s house, who expressed shock at seeing her. The woman confirmed that she would vote for Abrams in next week’s election.
Speaking at the Cobb Civic Center Jennie T. Anderson Theatre on Thursday, the 64-year-old billionaire revealed that she offered her assistance to Abrams because of her refusal to allow the sacrifices of those who were “lynched” and “oppressed” to be “in vain.”
“I paid to come here myself, and I approved this message,” Winfrey said, claiming that she independently contacted Abrams to offer her assistance in the final days of the campaign.
“I’m here today because of the men and because of the women who were lynched, who were humiliated, who were discriminated against, who were suppressed, who were repressed and oppressed,” Winfrey continued. “I refuse to let their sacrifices be in vain.”
Before Winfrey’s speech, Abrams expressed her honor at having such a powerful figure support her campaign.
“Oprah Winfrey has inspired so many of us through the years with her unparalleled ability to form real connections and strengthen the bonds of family and community,” she said in a statement. “I am honored to have Oprah join me for uplifting and honest conversations with voters about the clear choice before us in this election and the boundless potential of Georgians.”
On Thursday, President Donald Trump criticized Winfrey’s endorsement, arguing that Abrams was not sufficiently qualified for the position.
“The woman that she’s supporting is not qualified to be the governor of Georgia by any stretch of the imagination,” Trump said. “Take a look at her past, take a look at her history, take a look at what she wants to do and what she has in mind for the state. That state will be in big, big trouble very quickly.”
Winfrey’s campaigning serves as further evidence of her increased political partisanship during the era of Donald Trump, having previously been considered a unifying American figure. Earlier this year, there was intense speculation that Winfrey was considering a presidential run against Trump in 2020, but she has since ruled out the possibility.
According to a RealClearPolitics polling average, the race is still too close to call, with Republican challenger and Georgia’s current secretary of state Brian Kemp leading Abrams by just one point.
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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