As the celebrity host of the third night of the Democratic National Convention, Mindy Kaling took the stage to support the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris, whom she said she calls a friend.
After joking that she was “the woman who bravely revealed that Kamala Harris is Indian in an Instagram cooking video,” Kaling shared her observations from one of the first times she met the vice president:
“She wasn’t the vice president, she was the senator, and we were filming a video where she came to my house to cook dosa, a South Indian dish,” Kaling recalled. “It’s not often that a senator comes to my house, and I was very nervous, but when she came, we immediately hit it off. We talked about the love we had for our mothers, who had both passed away from cancer. My mothers were both immigrants from India who came to America and dedicated their lives to serving others.”
Kaling explained that her mother became a member of Ogben, while Harris's mother, Shyamala, was a scientist searching for a cure for cancer: “It was clear to me that Shyamala passed on that same optimism and courage to her daughter.”
“But the thing I remember more than anything about the vice president is that Kamala Harris knows how to cook, you guys,” Kaling said with a laugh, before pointing out Harris’s thoughtfulness about Kaling’s children.
“She was so much better than me, but she also knew my family was watching me. So while she would gently correct me for making sloppy dosas, she would compliment me every step of the way, making sure my daughter, Kate, heard what a good cook I was. She had no desire to be seen as better than anyone else. She just wanted my child to be impressed by her mother.”
Harris only managed to eat one bite of dosa, Kaling said, “but I know she will bring that warmth and generosity of spirit to the White House as the next president. Kamala Harris cares deeply about others. She will fight to protect our freedoms, because those are the values her mother passed on to her.”
Kaling concluded her speech with a call to action, reminding viewers that Harris' name is not the only one on the ballot this November.
“In order to protect these freedoms, Democrats also need to win the House, so we have a lot of work to do,” she said before welcoming to the stage the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, whom she cheekily referred to as “the next Speaker of the House.”
Later in the evening, Kaling took the stage after a speech by former President Bill Clinton, and drew laughter when he referred to recent celebrity news.
“I couldn’t leave here without giving a shout-out to the wonderful delegation from my home state of Massachusetts. I love you, Massachusetts!” she began.
“Everyone always hates us, but they don't get it. Come on, Sucks. Come on, Jason Tatum. Ben Affleck, hold on!” she said. Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from the actor on Tuesday.
“Dunkin' Donuts is the best coffee in the world,” she concluded, as Affleck is often photographed holding cups from the fast-food cafe.
