A newly launched X account called "White Dudes for Harris" went viral early this week after the group's inaugural fundraising call raked in a whopping $4 million in just a few hours, drawing the backing of numerous celebrities and prominent Democrats.

It started with a group of X users who wanted to show that "the silent majority of white men aren't actually MAGA supporters," one of the account operators, Ross Morales Rocketto, said in the fundraising call. Inspired by the $1.5 million fundraising haul brought in by "Win With Black Women," the account operators behind "White Dudes for Harris" decided to launch their own effort backing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.

Within hours, the account amassed tens of thousands of followers, and its first-ever livestream fundraiser had over 190,000 viewers. The event also drew in major names including Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lance Bass, Bradley Whitford, and Jeff Bridges.

But early Tuesday, account operators said they suddenly couldn't log into the account.

Mike Nellis, one of the founders, tweeted from his personal account that White Dudes for Harris had been suspended due to a user report and allegedly violated platform rules. He added that they "scared @elonmusk and @DonaldJTrumpJr so much tonight they suspended our account and won't let us back in."

After several hours and climbing follows and support, the account suspension was lifted.

At the start of the fundraising call, Rocketto said a lot of people were questioning why he was organizing a bunch of white men. Naturally, it made people uneasy.

"A lot of people feel and felt uncomfortable about the call," Morales Rocketto said in the livestream. "Throughout American history, when white men have organized, it was often with pointy hats on."

But that's not what this group is about. Rocketto also added that while Trump had the majority of white men's votes in 2016 and 2020 that was going to end. He said the "silent majority" are really "folks like you who just want a better life for their families."

Despite the name of the group, attendance was not limited to just "white dudes," and included a diverse group of speakers and participants. In fact, its opening speaker was a Black male and director of the Working Families Party, Maurice Mitchell.

"I'm not sure if you noticed, but I am not a white man," Mitchell said. "Yet, here I am, opening up the White Dudes for Kamala call and stranger things have happened."

To close the call, Executive Director of Showing Up For Racial Justice Erin Heaney gave a heartfelt talk.

"We're fighting in communities that we know we have to contend with," Heaney said. "We have a really powerful track record moving white voters. We're the largest racial justice organization in U.S. history organizing in white communities."

The group's original goal was to raise $500,000, but they more than surpassed it. By the end of the call, @dudes4harris had raised more than $4 million for Harris' campaign. The call was posted to the @WhiteDudesForHarris YouTube account and has since accumulated more than 300,000 views in less than 24 hours.

Tags
Donald trump, Kamala Harris, Twitter, Elon Musk