Yet another identity-based group has mobilized to raise massive amounts of money on behalf of the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris. However, members of the group soon found their accounts suspended on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), which owner Elon Musk has increasingly used to platform right-wing talking points and spread anti-Harris propaganda. The account has since been reinstated.

‘White Dudes for Harris’ raises millions for the VP

On Monday, according to the call’s organizers, a White Dudes for Harris Zoom call drew over 190,000 participants and raised more than $4 million for the Harris campaign. The call featured celebrities such as Lance Bass, Josh Gad, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Groban, Mark Hamill and Bradley Whitford. Filmmaker J.J. Abrams attended the call and pledged $50,000. Several pro-Harris political figures also joined the call, including Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Democratic Govs. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Tim Walz of Minnesota. Actor Jeff Bridges, who many people most fondly associate with his character “The Dude” in The Big Lebowsky, joined the call and noted his qualifications for joining the group: “I’m white, I’m the Dude and I’m for Harris.”

Suspicion over temporary suspension on X

The main account associated with the White Dudes for Harris group on X, formerly known as Twitter, was temporarily suspended, though it was quickly restored. The account posted that it had “pissed off” X owner Elon Musk but added “don’t worry… can’t keep a good dude offline for long.”

Since Musk gained ownership of Twitter, the social media platform has increasingly leaned toward right-wing content and even hate speech. Musk has used his account to push conservative ideas and to attack Democrats. He is currently being criticized for sharing a deepfake video in which an AI-generated voice impersonating Harris is used to insult the candidate as “the ultimate diversity hire” and “a deep-state puppet.” In this context, many supporters of the White Dudes for Harris call have been suspicious of the page’s takedown on X.

Identity groups continue to come together for Harris

Despite the temporary social media suspension, White Dudes for Harris was the latest identity-based group to mobilize large numbers and massive donations for the vice president. On July 21, Win With Black Women organized a Zoom call that drew 44,000 Black women, including Democratic Party notables like strategist Donna Brazile and Reps. Jasmine Crockett and Joyce Beatty; the call raised $1.5 million for the Harris campaign. The next day, a Win With Black Men call organized by journalist Roland Martin and the Black Star Network drew over 20,000 participants and raised more than $1.3 million. A call for white women supporting Harris was held on July 25, featuring 100,000 participants — a Zoom record at the time — and raising more than $1.8 million. Other calls have featured Latinas, South Asian women, Native American women and more.

These calls have contributed to the over $200 million the vice president’s campaign has raised since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. The fundraising and mass mobilization over the past 10 days continues to demonstrate the enthusiasm for Harris as she enters the last 100 days of campaigning leading up to Election Day.

Vice President Kamala Harris