Outrage Grows as Oprah Winfrey Called a ‘Scam’ Over $10M People of Maui Fund While Supporting Kamala Harris Campaign

Oprah Winfrey, 70, stays a polarizing public figure. Her recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign sparked outrage amongst critics who’ve criticized Winfrey’s previous, highly publicized charitable efforts.

In August 2023, a series of fires devastated the Hawaiian island of Maui. The OWN founder teamed up with fellow Hollywood mogul Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 52, to launch the People’s Fund of Maui for residents, initially donating $10 million.

The fiery disaster caused greater than 100 deaths and $5.5 billion in damage, and reportedly displaced about 12,000 people. Winfrey, who owns 1,000 acres of land on Maui, and Johnson, whose Anoaʻi family line comes from neighboring Samoa within the South Pacific, have faced constant criticism over the past 12 months.

“We’ve been meeting with community leaders over the last few weeks to try to figure out what we can do,” Winfrey said on the “Today” show in August 2023.

The Rock added: “In this time of need, you want to take care of people’s biggest need, and that’s to give them money… It’s going to take a long time to rebuild. It’s probably going to get a little worse before it gets a little better. But we’re here, we’re doing what we can.”

Winfrey’s recent appearance on the Democratic National Convention on August twenty first again raised questions on the cash earmarked for Hawaiians.

The X meme account went viral on Aug. 28 after it was reported that Winfrey had donated $150 million to Kamala Harris’ campaign. While “The Color Purple” star endorsed Harris for president, reports of a nine-figure contribution to the Democratic politician are unconfirmed.

“Almost a year ago, Oprah and Johnson faced backlash after asking struggling farmers to donate to a Maui fund they launched to help wildfire victims. Oprah and Johnson pledged $10 million,” one person wrote.

Page X, whose headline features Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, also wrote: “A year later, some wildfire victims still have not been found, hundreds, if not thousands, of Maui residents are still homeless, and the island has yet to be rebuilt.” That X post garnered 2.3 million views in 20 hours.

Many of the responses included unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about Winfrey’s motive. For example, one person It was speculated that the legendary talk show host’s real goal was to “buy out Hawaii.”

Another critic of Winfrey decided‘Oprah is a fraud and a con artist.’ The Rock also got here under fire online after calling himself a ‘free thinker’ and a ‘patriot’ published“She’s a servant of the elite and a tool. I can’t say what I think of Oprah here.”

In contrast, some X users have objected to the narrative that Winfrey gave Kamala Harris’ team $150 million. Someone else he stated“These stupid posts are getting more and more popular. A donation of that size isn’t even legal and you’d at least see it on ABC News.”

Other as well as“So what happened to the amount people donated?”

According to an April 2024 article published in The Journal Associated Press Press AgencyThe People’s Fund of Maui initiative has raised nearly $60 million through the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

The money was reportedly distributed to greater than 8,100 adults between September 2023 and February 2024. The Associated Press also confirmed that greater than 20,000 individuals and corporations have contributed to the fund.

Local Lana Vierra and 10 members of her family lost their homes within the Maui wildfires. The grandmother of 4 told the AP that every one but one of her adult relatives received six monthly payments of $1,200 from the People’s Fund.

Additionally, Honolulu Civil BeatThe online nonprofit news organization previously reported that the primary round of payments from The People’s Fund went out in September 2023 to greater than 5,000 Maui residents.

Fact Checking Website Snopes debunked quite a few accusations related to the People’s Fund of Maui. For example, the positioning flagged as false a rumor that “Aquaman” actor and Hawaiian native Jason Momoa accused Winfrey and The Rock of “stealing money from the poor.”

The Harpo Productions founder delivered a surprising speech on the Democratic convention, where the independent voter discussed her decision to support the previous California senator for president.

“I really care about this country,” Winfrey said. CBS News why she endorsed Harris. The Mississippi-raised billionaire also said, “The most important thing to me is that decency and respect are on the list. And that’s why I was willing to do it.”

Johnson revealed on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast that he has been approached by multiple political parties about potentially running for president. In an April 2024 interview, Fox NewsThe former WWE wrestler said he won’t endorse any candidate for president in 2024.