Once again, Oprah Winfrey is in the political crosshairs of Donald Trump’s followers. Winfrey’s charitable donation to victims of the August 2023 wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, remains a hot-button subject among right-wing social media users.
As previously reported, Maui residents received two rounds of $1,200 disbursements by Oct. 2023.
However, one apparent conservative individual issued a post to X claiming that “little aid they offered was a mere $750, while they sent billions to Ukraine” following the Maui fires.
The person then assailed Oprah for asking “hard-working taxpayers to donate to the Maui fund. Yet, she can give $150,000,000 to Kamala Harris’s campaign?”
However, there is no evidence to prove the OWN founder donated $150 million or any amount to Vice President Kamala Harris for her presidential run.
In fact, USA Today debunked the viral speculation by confirming Winfrey has not financially contributed to the Democratic nominee’s campaign. The outlet did report that she donated more than $25 million to the People of Maui Fund.
Despite the implausibility of the online rumors about Winfrey’s alleged nine-figure political contribution — the individual campaign donation limit is $3,300 — social media platforms are filled with people pushing that narrative about the iconic television personality.
For instance, an X account reacted to the misleading post about Winfrey’s connections to the relief efforts in Maui by claiming, “She’s foul.” Another poster wrote, “Don’t forget The Rock also in there asking for money from the Peasants.” A third said, “Orca Windbag has always been a scammer.”
Hollywood movie star and WWE wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to contribute $10 million to the People’s Fund of Maui in August 2023 via the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
“We’ve been meeting with community leaders for the past couple of weeks, just trying to figure out what we can do,” Winfrey said during a 2023 appearance on the “Today” show.
“In this time of need, you want to take care of the greatest need of the people and that’s giving them money,” The Rock added. “It’s gonna take a long time to rebuild. It’ll probably get a little worse before it gets a little better. But we’re here, doing what we can do.”
The series of wildfires in Hawaii caused over 100 deaths and at least 67 people were injured. Over 5,000 residents were displaced. The Maui area suffered an estimated $5.5 billion worth of damage.
Another Oprah Winfrey critic complained, “Yet during her little speech at the DNC she said how we help our neighbors, she didn’t help her neighbors she just wants their land.” Winfrey already owns 1,000 acres of property in Maui.
According to The Associated Press, the People’s Fund of Maui has raised nearly $60 million, and more than 8,100 adults received payments by Feb. 2024.
The Honolulu Civil Beat reported more than 5,000 people in Maui got the first round of payments from the People’s Fund of Maui in September 2023.
However, The Washington Post ran an article on Sept. 5, 2024, covering homeowners in Hawaii having trouble getting home insurers, particularly State Farm, to pay for the removal of toxic residue caused by the fires.
“It’s not right how they are treating us,” a woman named Janice told the newspaper. State Farm gave a statement that read, “Claim handling has been ongoing and we have been actively working with customers to resolve concerns.”
Oprah Winfrey gave a surprise speech at the Democratic National Convention in her hometown of Chicago on Aug. 21 in support of the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket for president.
“But more often than not, what I’ve witnessed and experienced are human beings, both conservative and liberal, who may not agree with each other, but who would still help you in a heartbeat if you were in trouble,” Winfrey said at the DNC.
The 70-year-old billionaire media mogul added, “These are the people who make me proud to say that I am an American. They are the best of America. And despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbors.”
Following chants of U-S-A, Winfrey resumed, “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion. We don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No, we just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out too.”
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz represent the Democratic Party in the 2024 presidential election which takes place on Nov. 5. The Republicans nominated former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance for their party ticket.
