Celebrity involvement in the 2024 presidential race has taken several forms in recent weeks, with some of the biggest names in Hollywood and American politics sponsoring different candidates in an effort to influence the outcome in November.
Tuesday night, shortly after Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s debate ended, music sensation Taylor Swift, a billionaire, offered her support on Instagram. Her signature “childless cat lady” on the message, which also featured a photo of her holding a cat, was a dig at J.D. Vance, Trump’s running mate, who has referred to Democratic leaders by that moniker.
Prior to this endorsement, the pop star had periodically criticized Trump in recent years and opposed his re-election bid, though she had not hinted at whether she would actively participate in this race. Despite spending more than 15 years in the public eye, Swift ‘s first political endorsement came in 2018, when she supported Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen over Republican Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee , where Swift was registered to vote at the time. The singer claimed, “This is something that I know is right and I need to be on the right side of history” (Blackburn ultimately won by nearly 11 points).
Roughly two years later, Swift endorsed President Joe Biden and his then-running mate Harris , telling V Magazine that the decision was partly because the United States needed a leader who “recognized that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women have the right to make decisions about their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be recognized and included.”
In August 2020, Swift criticized Trump after he admitted to blocking funding to the United States Postal Service ahead of the election and the Democratic push for mail-in voting, pointing to his “calculated dismantling of the USPS” and claiming that he chose to “blatantly cheat and put the lives of millions of Americans at risk in an effort to cling to power.”
Swift added that Trump ‘s “ineffective leadership” “seriously exacerbated the crisis we find ourselves in,” likely referring to the pandemic.
Although she did not endorse any candidate after the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020, Swift continued to encourage her followers to vote, often posting voter registration links and information ahead of important dates.
Actors including Matt Damon and Lin-Manuel Miranda will attend a fundraiser in New York City later this month, where tickets are listed at $25,000 per person, to support Harris’ candidacy alongside Tim Walz, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
Trump thanked Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, for “standing up for him” when she responded to fans who criticized her for liking several pro-Trump social media posts last month (though Mahomes has not officially endorsed any candidate).
Over Labor Day weekend, a fundraiser for the Democratic Party was held in Southampton, New York, hosted by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and fashion designer Tory Burch, among others.
Nick Offerman, Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, Kathy Griffin, John Stamos, Ed Helms, Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz participated in a virtual “Comics for Harris” event via Zoom last month that raised nearly half a million dollars for Harris’ campaign.
Other celebrities who endorsed Harris
Some of Hollywood’s biggest names endorsed Biden before he dropped out of the race, then switched their support to Harris. Olivia Rodrigo endorsed the vice president by sharing a video of a speech in which Harris promised to stop Trump’s extreme restrictions on abortion.
Prominent Democratic fundraiser George Clooney, who had called on Biden to drop out of the race in a New York Times essay, expressed his support for Harris, as did Barbra Streisand, who endorsed the candidate over her promise to fight for reproductive rights. Musician John Legend, who performed at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, expressed that he was “all set” for Harris’s presidency. Other names who have voiced their support for Harris include director Spike Lee, “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, director Ken Burns, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, and actresses Rosie O’Donnell and Jamie Lee Curtis.
On the other hand, Robert De Niro, who narrated an ad for Biden’s campaign, praised the president’s “selfless patriotism” in a statement, Singer Charli XCX also showed her support for Harris by asking the candidate’s team to adopt the green color and typography used in the British artist’s album.
Cardi B, who declared in May that she would not support Biden, enthusiastically retweeted Harris’s endorsement, while Kesha echoed the sentiment, stating that she detested Republican vice presidential contender J.D. Vance. Beyoncé did not openly support any politician, although she did grant Harris’s campaign permission to use her song “Freedom” in a video. Other well-known figures that endorsed Harris’ candidacy were former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Who supported Trump?
During the Republican National Convention last month, Hulk Hogan, a former professional wrestler, made headlines when he undressed and showed off a Trump and Vance campaign t-shirt, referring to Trump as his “hero” and “America’s greatest president”. Kid Rock, who has been a strong advocate of President Trump, sang a new rendition of his song “American Bad Ass” at the ceremony honoring the outgoing leader. Trump was hailed by UFC president Dana White, who described him as “the toughest and most resilient human being”. At the Republican National Convention, reality TV personality Amber Rose spoke in favor of Trump. Musicians Jason Aldean and Chris Janson were among the other attendees.
Voting for Trump over Biden, according to Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, was a “easy” decision in January. Stars like Steve Wynn and Elon Musk also expressed their support for the former president. While actor Jon Voight has openly supported Trump on numerous occasions, actress Roseanne Barr, who is well-known for supporting Trump, questioned Mark Cuban’s backing of Harris.
