Oprah takes aim at book bans and JD Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ jibe in surprise DNC speech

Oprah Winfrey has attacked people who ban books across the US, in a powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

In a surprise appearance at the DNC in Chicago on Tuesday (21 August), Oprah said the bans were being led by “people who want to scare you, people who want to rule you, people who’d have you believe that books are dangerous and assault rifles are safe”. 

She went on to take aim at Republican vice-presidential hopeful JD Vance for his, “childless cat lady” jibe, where he claimed that women who don’t want children are against “traditional families”, and are anti-family. 

“When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion,” Oprah said. “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.” 

Oprah said she was a registered independent and called on other independents and undecideds to vote, The Guardian reported. “Values and character matter most of all, in leadership and in life. Decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she added.

Last month, the chat show host shut down long-standing rumours that she and CBS News host Gayle King are a lesbian couple, and to mark the beginning of Pride month in June, Oprah shared an emotional tribute to her brother who died of an Aids-related illness in the late 80s, saying everyone should have the right to “love who they want” and to “be the person they most want to be”. 

The DNC has featured a number of powerful speeches, with a highlight being former president Barack Obama mocking Trump with a “crowd size” joke. That brought roars of laughter and load applause from the audience, with one person taking to social media to call it “the biggest burn in political history”. 

The DNC concludes on Thursday (22 August) when vice-president Kamala Harris will officially accept the nomination to be the Democrats’ candidate for the presidency.

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