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Spanish.— The million-dollar payment to TV host Oprah Winfrey by Kamala Harris’s now-defeated Democratic campaign is just the beginning of an economic black hole. Despite raising more than Donald Trump’s Republican campaign, many are questioning how the current vice president’s campaign could squander the funds she received to support her candidacy.
Winfrey was part of a long parade of celebrities promoting Harris’s candidacy, not to mention the concerts in the seven key states with Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Christina Aguilera, which reportedly cost $20 million. All these swing states ended up going to Trump. This demonstrates that beyond money, effectiveness lies in the message sent to voters.
Behind this effort is Jen O’Malley Dillon, Harris’s campaign director, who, according to a source who spoke to Breitbart, “spent $1 billion in just a few months.” She reportedly pushed for the campaign to “host concerts with celebrities like Katy Perry, Lizzo, Eminem, and Bruce Springsteen.” It’s not just that; “several people” who worked with the Democrats “are still waiting on overdue payments that were promised for their work.”
Democratic Campaign Seeks Donations
The media hype didn’t work for Kamala Harris, that much is clear. Surely, this money splurge will be analyzed by Democrats in the future, considering that between January 2023 and October 16, 2024, her campaign raised $997.2 million compared to Donald Trump’s $388 million, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data.
The situation is so chaotic that even after her November 5 defeat, “Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign is still seeking donors,” according to a report by the Daily Caller. They are using the phrase “Harris Fight Fund” to justify – in emails sent to voters – new fundraising efforts to “finance legal efforts and recount initiatives to help Democrats in close congressional races.”
This plea is accompanied by a $20 million debt, as reported by Christopher Cadelago, Politico’s California bureau chief, in a post on X. Just in advertising, the Democrats spent $654 million from July 22 until Election Day, while Trump spent $378 million, or 57% less, in the same category, according to AdImpact data mentioned by the Washington Examiner.
Trump Makes an Offer to Harris
In addition to what Harris’s campaign raised, other Democratic groups also contributed, reaching $1.2 billion in this election cycle. How was all that money wasted? We’ll find out in the coming days, as the FEC requires candidates to file post-general election reports within 30 days.
In any case, if Kamala Harris’s now-defunct campaign fails to pay off its debts, President-elect Donald Trump has “offered” to pay them. Running a strategic campaign and taking advantage of Democratic missteps to boost his image allowed the former president’s team to maintain a positive balance. “We have a lot of money left since our biggest asset in the campaign was ‘earned media,’ and that doesn’t cost much. LET’S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” was part of his message on Truth Social.
Once again, it’s proven that making more noise doesn’t mean it’s effective. What’s important is delivering the right message in response to urgent needs, like the deteriorating economy that erodes voters’ wallets, rather than creating Snapchat filters.
