'White Dudes for Harris' raises $3.7 million, Mark Ruffalo, Jeff Bridges show up

A Zoom call featuring celebrities and elected officials raised over $3.7 million for US Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign. The call, titled ‘White Dudes for Harris’, attracted more than 180,000 participants and included Hollywood stars like Mark Ruffalo, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sean Astin, Mark Hamill, and Josh Gad.

Actor Jeff Bridges, known for playing ‘The Dude’ in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski, made a surprise appearance to voice his support for Kamala Harris, saying, "I'm white, I'm a dude, and I'm here for Harris."

The call, held on Monday evening (local time), lasted over three hours and saw top Democratic officials, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, also present.

The Zoom call was marked by a mix of humour and serious discussion, with participants taking swipes at Republican nominee Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

Governor Walz, a potential running mate for Harris, said it was an opportunity for white men to show that Trump did not represent all white men, while Governor Pritzker joked about joining a call called "Couches Against Trump, better known as CATS", a reference to Vance's "childless cat ladies” attack on prominent Democrats.

Actor Josh Gad pointed out that the ‘White Dudes for Harris’ call was a stark contrast to the testosterone-heavy Republican Convention. “They have Kid Rock, Kevin Sorbo and a dolphin aficionado, and we have the Hulk, Samwise Gamgee, Luke Skywalker and Mayor Pete just on the Zoom,” he said.

The call was part of a series of Zoom gatherings aimed at raising money and rallying support for Harris after US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and endorsed her.

Previous Zoom calls, such as 'White Women for Harris', have also seen an overwhelming turnout, with over 164,000 attendees. These events have featured celebrities who previously supported Biden's campaign, demonstrating the need for Harris to appeal to diverse segments of the population.

The campaign has welcomed the assistance, with communications director Michael Tyler stating, "Winning campaigns are powered by real, organic support."

After she became the Democratic Party's de facto presidential nominee, Republicans have disparaged Harris, a woman of colour, as a “diversity hire”. They have criticised her focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion, suggesting that her political career was aided by Democratic efforts to promote diversity.