Kamala Harris to Appear Alongside Hanoi Jane.
The event comes one week after Biden hosted a veterans outreach roundtable.
The Biden campaign, which has bombarded President Donald Trump with attacks about his respect for U.S. soldiers, will be campaigning this weekend with Jane Fonda, a celebrity best known for fraternizing with enemy troops during the Vietnam War.
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris is set to join Fonda at a Saturday virtual event held by progressive advocacy group Supermajority. The event—titled “Supercharge: Women All In”—will “bring together thousands of women to laugh, sing, dance, and celebrate women’s political power,” according to the group’s website.
Fonda traveled to North Vietnam in 1972 as part of an anti-war protest that saw her pose for photos with enemy troops on an anti-aircraft gun. The photo sparked outrage among Vietnam veterans, earning her the nickname “Hanoi Jane.” Fonda’s public appearances remain subject to controversy—a group of Ohio veterans called on the actress to donate her $83,000 speaking fee to the families of fallen soldiers ahead of a May appearance at Kent State University.
Harris and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have criticized President Donald Trump on veterans’ issues in recent weeks. During a September “veterans roundtable,” Biden criticized Trump for ignoring “the bounty on the heads of Americans in Afghanistan,” referencing a slew of June reports that claimed Russia bribed the Taliban to kill U.S. servicemen. One day before the roundtable, Marine Corps general Frank McKenzie—who oversees military operations in the region—told NBC News that a review of U.S. intelligence failed to corroborate the alleged bounties.
Harris promoted the roundtable in a tweet, saying American veterans “sacrifice so much for our nation and deserve our respect and gratitude, both while on active duty and after.” The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment on her upcoming appearance with Fonda.
Fonda has long supported Harris financially, contributing nearly $6,000 to the Democrat’s Senate campaign since 2016. The actress also gave $1,000 to the Biden Victory Fund in June after donating a combined $10,300 to Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.), Democratic governors Steve Bullock (Mont.) and Jay Inslee (Wash.), and billionaire Tom Steyer during the presidential primary.
Saturday’s event will also be attended by Warren, twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). It will feature a “yelling room where participants are encouraged to scream out their emotions,” according to event organizers.
Supermajority was launched in 2019 by a group of progressive activists, including former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards and Black Lives Matter cofounder Alicia Garza. The group has raised $2.5 million in 2020, with $2 million coming from liberal billionaire George Soros’s Democracy PAC. Supermajority aims to train and mobilize “a community of all ages, races, and backgrounds to fight for gender equality together,” according to its website.
“I’m proud of the people who are turning out in unprecedented numbers and continue over and over again to protest what Trump is doing. I’m very proud of them, that core,” Fonda said.