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Nov. 6, 2018 / 1:44 PM GMT
By Elisha Fieldstadt
Oprah on Monday had instructions for how people should respond to racist robocalls that targeted her and Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams. She wrote it, her T-shirt said it, she said it, and she even sang it — vote.
“I heard people are making racist robocalls in my name against Stacey Abrams, who I am 100 percent for in Georgia. I just want to say, Jesus don’t like ugly,” Oprah said in an Instagram video captioned, “The antidote to Hate… VOTE your love!”
Oprah on Thursday campaigned for Abrams during two rallies and joined her as she canvassed door-to-door. Abrams, who is in the midst of a tight race against President Donald Trump-backed Republican candidate Brian Kemp, would be the first black female governor in U.S. history.
The racist and anti-Semitic automated phone calls that went out to an unknown number of Georgians impersonate Oprah.
According to the robocall, it was paid for by The Road to Power, a group organized by Scott Rhodes of Idaho. Rhodes has also been tied to racist robocalls targeting Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum.
Kemp and Abrams both condemned the calls.
“These automated calls are being sent into homes just days before President Trump arrives, reminding voters exactly which political party is promoting a climate that champions this kind of vile, poisonous thinking,” Abrams’ press assistant Meredith Brasher added. Trump visited the state to campaign for Kemp on Sunday.
Oprah, while leaning against exercise equipment in her Instagram video, said “we know what to do about that — vote tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow, show up and show out,” she said.
And in her operatic voice usually reserved for surprise giveaways, she concluded, “and VOTE.”