Rosie Perez claims she warned Kamala Harris’ campaign of loss: ‘Nobody wanted to hear me’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Actress Rosie Perez said she knew former Vice President Kamala Harris was heading toward defeat in the 2024 election and tried to warn people inside the campaign.
Speaking during a podcast episode released Monday, Perez claimed her concerns were dismissed, despite hearing the same message repeatedly from voters across party lines.
Perez shared her views while appearing on MSNBC’s 'The Best People with Nicolle Wallace', where she reflected on her time campaigning and listening directly to voters ahead of the election.
Rosie Perez says campaign ignored voter concerns
Rosie Perez, a former co-host of 'The View', said she actively campaigned for Democratic candidates, including New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, and spent time speaking with voters in areas others often avoid.
“And I’m going into these neighborhoods and even when I was on the campaign for Kamala, which was, I’m just going to be honest, it wasn’t a good campaign, and I told you that,” Perez said during the podcast. “You didn’t want to hear it. Nobody wanted to hear from me.”
The actress said she raised concerns directly while volunteering but felt her warnings fell on deaf ears. “I remember I said, ‘She’s going to lose,’” Perez added.
According to Perez, her confidence came from listening rather than arguing with people across the political spectrum, including Democrats, independents, Republicans, and even supporters of President Donald Trump within her own family.
“I’ve learned to stop yelling, and I’ve learned to listen more,” she said.
Rosie Perez says economy drove voter anger
Rosie Perez said the message she heard repeatedly from voters was simple and consistent. “They wanted the same thing. It was ‘the economy, stupid.’ That was it,” she said.
“Nobody cared about social issues or anything like that,” she explained. “They were struggling, and they wanted something to change on that level.”
Perez said she participated in Zoom calls with Latina leaders organizing support for Kamala Harris and tried to pass along what she was hearing on the ground.
“Nobody was listening to me,” she said, adding that she later received some apologies. “Not from everybody, but I’ve gotten apologies.” Perez also campaigned for Harris in Pennsylvania during the election cycle, according to reports.
Rosie Perez weighs in on ICE enforcement
During the same podcast conversation, Rosie Perez shared her nuanced views on immigration in the United States, as protests and Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement actions continue to spark debate.
Asked by Wallace about the current immigration crackdown and reports of fatal ICE enforcement in Minneapolis, Perez said she believes some enforcement is necessary but drew a clear line. “We do need some type of enforcement on immigration,” Perez said. “We do. And we do need to get hardened violent criminals out of our country. We do.”
However, Perez criticized placing asylum seekers in the same category as violent offenders.
“But somebody who has applied for asylum and is going to court and following the paperwork - you really gonna do that to them?” she said. “You’re going to put them on that same level? It’s sad. It’s just, it’s really, really sad.”
Kamala Harris revives Kamala HQ platform
Following the 2024 election, Kamala Harris recently relaunched her Kamala HQ social media account as a Gen Z–led progressive content hub.
In a video announcing the relaunch, Harris addressed supporters directly. “So, Kamala HQ is turning into ‘Headquarters,’” Harris said. “It’s where you can go online to get basically the latest of what’s going on.”
She added that the platform would spotlight elected leaders, community leaders, faith leaders, and young organizers, encouraging supporters to stay engaged.
