09/11/2024 --axios
From the silver screen to the wrestling ring, a number of celebrities have endorsed candidates ahead of November's election.Why it matters: The fodder of fame can motivate fans — such as when singer Taylor Swift's 2023 call to action prompted record-breaking traffic to Vote.org — and shine star power on a campaign.Zoom out: Celebrities were prominently featured at both party's national conventions this year.Actress Kerry Washington and actor Tony Goldwyn held a surprise "Scandal" reunion on the Democratic National Convention stage, throwing their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.And Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, introduced former President Trump at the Republican National Convention — a role typically reserved for a spouse or family member.Here's a sampling of celebs who have said they'll support when they do their civic duty this November:Taylor Swift: "Childless cat lady" for HarrisIn a late-night Instagram post following the conclusion of the first — and perhaps, only — debate between Harris and Trump, Swift shared her endorsement of the vice president to her 283 million Instagram followers.NPR reported that as of 11 a.m. ET Wednesday, over 306,000 people had visited vote.org using the URL Swift shared online, prompting followers to register.What she's saying: "I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," the pop superstar said of Harris, who she said "fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them."Young voters — a key voting bloc both campaigns have tried to reach — make up a significant portion of Swift's enormous base.Some celebs followed Swift's lead, like "Childless dog lady" Stevie Nicks and Aubrey Plaza, who shared a picture holding the famed Grumpy cat captioned "HARRIS 🇺🇸 WALZ."Several other stars liked Swift's post, like actor Dan Levy and musician Lil Nas X.George Clooney: "So excited" to support Harris' "historic quest"After Harris began her crunch-time campaign, an avalanche of celebrities who had rallied behind Biden offered their endorsement — one of whom was Oscar winner George Clooney.The intrigue: Clooney, a longtime Democratic fundraiser, endorsed Harris after calling on Biden to depart from the race. In his statement endorsing Harris, Clooney applauded the president's decision, writing, "President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He's saving democracy once again."Spike Lee: "SISTA" Harris "TO DA RESCUE"Oscar-winning director Spike Lee celebrated Harris' campaign the same day Biden dropped out of the race, sharing a photo of her on Instagram and writing, "ONCE AGAIN A SISTA COMES TO DA RESCUE."On Wednesday, he shared a photo holding signs that read, "KAMALA" and "FOR THE PEOPLE."Charlie XCX: The "brat" campaign is bornCharlie XCX also weighed in with a short-but-sweet message just hours after Biden endorsed his vice president, writing on X, "kamala IS brat."Zoom out: The British musician's post was swiftly embraced by the campaign, with the Kamala HQ account branding its page around the album's aesthetic.Jeff Bridges, Mark Hamill, Mark Ruffalo and others: "White dude" celebs for Harris"The Dude," Luke Skywalker, the Hulk and others joined a number of Harris allies — including now-VP nominee Gov. Tim Walz — to rally for Harris in a "White Dudes for Harris" Zoom call that raised around $4 million.What he's saying: "I'm white, I'm a dude and I'm for Harris," Bridges said on the call, saying he would be "so exited" to have a female president.Harris has picked up support from a number of other celebrities, such as musician John Legend, actress Barbra Streisand, talk show host Oprah, businessman Mark Cuban and actress Viola Davis, among others.Elon Musk: "I fully endorse President Trump"Tech mogul Elon Musk endorsed the former president minutes after he was rushed off stage by Secret Service agents at the Pennsylvania rally shooting.The billionaire, who originally backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has leveraged his massive following — 197 million on X — to rally support for the former president and criticize Biden's policies. Musk has also come under fire for amplifying false narratives and conspiracy theories on his app.State of play: Trump told Reuters last month that he would consider appointing Musk to a cabinet or advisory role "if he would do it."The latest: Following the first matchup between Harris and Trump, Musk retweeted a number of posts accusing ABC commentators of giving Harris favorable treatment. In response to Swift's Instagram endorsement, Musk wrote, "Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life."Hulk Hogan: Trump is "the toughest of them all"Former wrestler Hulk Hogan took the stage at the RNC to endorse Trump, ripping off his jacket and shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance muscle tank underneath.Zoom out: "When they took a shot at my hero," he said of the assassination attempt just before the RNC kicked off, "And they tried to kill the president of the United States, enough was enough."Kid Rock: "Tried and true" TrumpCountry music singer Kid Rock, who performed at the 2024 RNC, has been a fervent supporter of the former president throughout his three presidential bids. Flashback: In 2016, the musician told Rolling Stone he was "digging" Trump and has since visited the White House on multiple occasions.Amber Rose: "Media has lied" about TrumpModel and rapper Amber Rose threw her support behind the former president at the RNC, saying, "These are my people. This is where I belong," of Trump supporters.Catch up quick: In 2016, she called Trump a "a f*****g idiot."But at the 2024 RNC, she said, "the best chance we have to give our babies a better life is to elect Donald Trump president of the United States."Trump's 2024 bid has also picked up the support of Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, actor Dennis Quaid, actress Rosanne Barr and actor Jon Voight, among others.What we're watching: A few big names have yet to throw their support behind a candidate.Beyoncé gave the Harris campaign permission to use her song "Freedom," but Queen Bey has yet to make a formal endorsement. Similarly, billionaire Michael Bloomberg has yet to endorse after he backed Biden's bid.Go deeper: More artists demand Trump stop using their music
