On July 10, A-list actor George Clooney called on struggling Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race against Donald Trump and make way for a new face. When news broke on Sunday that incumbent Biden had withdrawn and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, many Hollywood celebrities, from actors Robert De Niro to Jamie Lee Curtis, quickly voiced their support for Biden's replacement.
Curtis, star of horror films such as “Halloween,” took to Instagram shortly after the announcement to wholeheartedly endorse Harris, a former California attorney general and senator who has not yet been formally nominated by the Democratic Party.
“She is a fierce advocate for women's rights and the rights of people of color, and her message brings hope and unity to America at a time when the nation is deeply divided,” Curtis wrote in a post that received nearly 250,000 likes on Monday morning.
Pop stars fuel memes, music drives youth votes
The day after Biden endorsed her, Harris was greeted by cheering campaign staff in Delaware as she first performed Beyoncé's hit “Freedom,” featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar and appearing on her 2016 album “Lemonade.”
CNN reports that Beyoncé quickly gave Harris' team permission to use the song during the presidential campaign, but has yet to formally endorse the Democratic front-runner.
But perhaps the most impactful celebrity endorsement came from across the pond, when British singer Charlie XCX said on Show X that “Kamala's a brat,” a reference to Charlie's hit album Brat. The post has since been viewed by more than 50 million people.
Harris' association with Charli XCX's irreverent pop music could resonate with Gen Z and tilt the election in her favor.
The presidential candidate's campaign quickly changed the X on his profile to lime green, the color of Brat's records, and used the same font to refer to “Kamala HQ.”
Charli XCX's music has appeared in countless TikToks and social media memes celebrating Harris dancing and laughing, a theme that complements Harris' growing affinity among younger voters, as social media personality Ed Krassenstein pointed out on X (formerly Twitter).
Hollywood quickly rallied around Harris
CNN entertainment reporter Elizabeth Wagmeister wrote on X that the sudden celebrity endorsement of Harris is unprecedented in this election.
“Hollywood has come more to support Kamala Harris in the last 3 hours than they have for Biden the entire campaign,” she wrote Sunday night.
De Niro said in a statement that it was essential that Biden step down, saying, “Nothing is more important to our country than defeating Donald Trump at the polls.”
“With all my respect, admiration and love, I thank you Mr. President!” the Oscar-winning actor added.
Hollywood stars like Barbra Streisand were also quick to react to the news, with Streisand commenting on X about Biden's “tremendous accomplishments during his four years in office,” adding that Americans should be “grateful for the way he has supported our democracy.”
Cardi B says Biden should have 'passed the baton' sooner
“Hahahaha here we go. I told you all Kamala was supposed to be the nominee in 2024,” rapper Cardi B wrote to X, noting that she had picked Harris to replace Biden a few weeks earlier.
“That was very selfish for Biden and the entire Democratic Party,” the singer said in the video, saying she had hoped Harris would receive the nomination from the start of her reelection campaign.
“I think they should have handed the baton over to Kamala,” Cardi B added. “This would have been the perfect moment for her. It would have been the perfect time for her to shine.”
Pop music's brightest star, Taylor Swift, has pledged her support for the Biden-Harris Democratic nomination in the 2020 election, raising expectations that she will endorse Harris.
Social media accounts like “Swifties for Harris” popped up just hours after the announcement that Vice President Harris would likely lead the Democratic Party in November. X's unofficial Swift fan page aims to “mobilize Taylor Swift fans to help the Democratic candidate win the election.”
Obama has yet to endorse Harris.
Barack Obama, best known for his Netflix work and as a podcaster since leaving office in 2017, praised the former vice president for dropping out of the race.
“Joe Biden has been one of America's most important presidents and a dear friend and partner to me,” he wrote on X. “Today we were reminded once again that he is a patriot of the highest order.”
But President Obama, unlike many leading Democratic politicians and numerous pop stars and Hollywood celebrities, has not yet endorsed Harris.
Meanwhile, prominent Trump supporters, such as actor and comedian Russell Brand, have taken to social media to comment on Harris's laughter as well as claim she is not an effective public speaker, with Republicans beginning to refer to the potential nominee as “Laughing Kamala.”
However, it remains to be seen who will have the last laugh in the US presidential election on November 5th.
Editor: Brenda Haas
