‘White Dudes for Harris’ is the latest in a series of Zoom gatherings backing the vice president

WASHINGTON (AP) — On a “White Dudes for Harris” virtual call, it was probably fitting that “The Dude” dropped in.

Actor Jeff Bridges addressed a fundraising event geared toward white men supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and sang her praises on Monday night, before channeling his iconic role as “The Dude” in 1998’s “The Big Lebowski,” declaring, “As the Dude might say, ‘That’s just my opinion, man.’” (The original line was “That’s just, like, your opinion, man.”)

The call lasted more than three hours and organizers said it attracted 180,000-plus people who donated more than $3.7 million. It was the latest in a series of Zoom gatherings to raise money and rally support among tens of thousands of supporters for Harris, after President Joe Biden announced he was leaving the presidential race and endorsing her.

Zooms have previously been organized by supporters’ backgrounds — including Black women, Hispanic women, Black men, Asian Americans, Native Americans and the LGBTQ+ community.

It reflected how Democrats, including Biden, have frequently relied on voters from broad and disparate backgrounds to piece together a diverse coalition of support. The president’s 2020 victory, for example, relied on segments of the population ranging from organized labor to conservative, suburban women disillusioned with Republican Donald Trump.

The “white dudes” Zoom event also featured appearances from actors Mark Ruffalo, Mark Hamill and Bradley Whitford, who deadpanned about so many white male speakers being “a rainbow of beige.”

Also participating were Democratic officials including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, all of whom have been mentioned as potential Harris