Padma Lakshmi Co-hosts Virtual Fundraiser for Joe Biden’s Campaign Headlined by Kamala Harris
- The “Top Chef” host has apparently come around after criticizing Biden for apologizing for his interrogation of Anita Hill 30 years ago, “because it was politically convenient for his presidential bid.”
“Top Chef” host, model, actress and chef Padma Lakshmi co-hosted a virtual fundraiser with Billy Porter for the Biden Victory Fund, a joint committee of Joe Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and state parties, on Sept. 8. Vice presidential nominee Kamala Devi Harris headlined the event. Tickets for the event ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, according to an invite.
When Harris became Biden’s running mate, on Aug. 11, Lakshmi posted a picture of herself and her mother on Instagram, next to a picture of Harris with her mother and sister. “The importance of having someone in the White House who looks like you cannot be overstated,” she wrote.
Lakshmi was born in Chennai and has grandparents who lived in the Besant Nagar neighborhood in Chennai. And like Harris, Lakshmi grew up in California, after moving to the U.S. as a child. “I’m happy also not because she’s Indian American, but because she’s African American and Indian American and the daughter of two immigrants,” Lakshmi told Politico. “She ticks off a lot of boxes for the rest of us, the non white-Caucasian-male group.” She also shared a GIF of her cheering to the news of Harris’ appointment.
After Harris’ speech at the Democratic National Convention, Lakshmi tweeted: “I literally have tears in my eyes. @KamalaHarris just said ‘chitthis,’ which means auntie. My heart is so full right now.” In her vice presidential acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, Harris acknowledged her husband, her children, her sister, her nieces, her godchildren, her uncles and her “chitthis.” Harris’ use of the Tamil word for “aunts” sent social media into a tizzy.
However a New York Post report says that while Lakshmi supports Harris, she is “an outspoken critic” of Biden, just like Porter. Citing a few of Lakshmi’s tweets, the New York Post wrote: “Lakshmi has a long history of criticizing Biden on Twitter, while Porter is a leading supporter of the defund the police movement which the septuagenarian presidential candidate has tried to distance himself from.”
The New York Post article said that Lakshmi criticized Biden for apologizing for his interrogation of Anita Hill 30 years ago, “because it was politically convenient for his presidential bid.” In an April 30, 2019 tweet, Lakshmi wrote: “What @JoeBiden doesn’t seem to understand is how he not only wronged #anitahill but every American young girl and woman by showing us our experiences don’t matter. There is no #kavvanugh without #ClarenceThomas.”
Earlier, in April last year, after Biden announced that he is running for president, Lakshmi wrote: Hey buddy, can you spare a dime? I know I messed up with #AnitaHill and a bunch of other stuff in the 100 years I’ve been in govt but I did say sorry to her even tho she doesn’t believe me. Whadaya say??”