A Zoom call dubbed “White Dudes for Harris,” the latest in a series of unofficial, virtual hangouts aimed at motivating and organizing supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris, raised more than $4 million on Monday night and attracted Democratic power players, running mate hopefuls and celebrities — including “The Dude” himself, Jeff Bridges.
“I accepted the invitation, I was brought to the party not so much as being white, and I certainly am, but because I’m a dude, you know?” Bridges, who portrayed Jeff “The Dude” Leboswki in 1998’s “The Big Lebowski,” said on the call. “Because I qualify, man. I’m white, I’m a dude, and I’m for Harris! … A woman president, man, how exciting.”
The “White Dudes for Harris” call follows similar efforts undertaken by Black women, Black men, white women, Latino men, South Asian men and LGBTQ+ Americans in the days since President Joe Biden stepped down and endorsed Harris to take his place at the top of the Democratic ticket.
The call attracted running mate hopefuls like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, who announced Monday night he was withdrawing from consideration, was there as well — and celebrities like Mark Hamill, Lance Bass, Mark Ruffalo, Josh Gad, Sean Astin, J.J. Abrams and Josh Groban.
“What a variety of whiteness we have here,” Bradley Whitford, star of “The West Wing” and “Billy Madison,” quipped. “It’s like a rainbow of beige.”
Those who spoke sought to emphasize that not all white males — a group that then-President Donald Trump won by 57% in 2020, per the Pew Research Center — are behind the Republican former president.
“We know that the silent majority of white men aren’t MAGA supporters,” said Ross Morales Rocketto, a Democratic operative who organized the group.
The call, which lasted over three hours and attracted more than 180,000 people, sought to keep the early momentum for Harris’ campaign going.
“The vibes right now are incredible,” said Buttigieg on the call. “The momentum is extraordinary.”
Walz, who has been credited with branding the Republican ticket of Trump and running mate JD Vance as “weird,” noted that time is running short until Election Day, but the participants on the call had a unique opportunity to make a difference.
“Here’s the great news: How often in 100 days do you get to change the trajectory of the world?” Walz, who has become a Democratic darling in recent days for his vociferous support of Harris on talk shows and at public appearances. “How often in a hundred days do you get to do something that’s going to impact generations to come? And how often in the world do you make that bastard wake up afterwards and know that a Black woman kicked his a**, sent him on the road?”
Morales Rocketto, who introduced Buttigieg as “the internet’s favorite candidate for VP,” also said of Walz: “I see why everybody is so excited about you.”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, another rumored running mate hopeful, slammed Trump as "a 34 time convicted felon and adjudicated rapist and congenital liar" and called Vance his "Mini-Me," a reference to the late Verne Troyer's character in 1999's "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me."
The Zoom calls haven't been organized by Harris' team, but her campaign welcomes the assist — and the millions of dollars in fundraising. “Winning campaigns are powered by real, organic support,” said Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler.
The political networking group “Win With Black Women” held a Zoom meeting the same night that Biden dopped out, and saw its number of participants swell to more than 44,000. It featured celebratory speeches from activists, business leaders, members of Congress and staff from the vice president's office.
After that, a “Win With Black Men” virtual fundraising event attracted more than 53,000 attendees. They heard several presentations, including by 27-year-old Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, who had been a leading advocate for Biden’s campaign among younger voters, and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.
A Zoom of “White Women for Harris” attracted more than 164,000 participants — so many that the platform struggled to meet the demand. It was headlined by the likes of singer Pink, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and actor Connie Britton.
Trump's campaign has also organized different groups of supporters by their distinct backgrounds, including events in battleground states like Pennsylvania and Georgia for Black voters and “Latino Americans for Trump."
Some Republicans have criticized Harris for her “diversity, equality and inclusion politics,” arguing that the vice president's political career was helped by Democratic efforts to promote diversity. That's despite House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP leaders on Capitol Hill discouraging lines of criticism that they considered racist and sexist — instead urging members of the party to focus their criticisms on Harris' political record.
Gov. Cooper asked those assembled about GOP attacks, “A DEI candidate?”
“Here’s what they’re saying, that women and people of color don’t deserve to lead," Cooper said. "We know better than that, guys.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.