How celebrity endorsements affect political theater

Whether it was Frank Sinatra’s support of President Roosevelt or Judy Garland’s support of President Kennedy, celebrities have long played a role in campaigning for political change. When election time is nigh, politicians are busy mingling with influencers and celebrities, most of whom hop on their chosen bandwagons. The 2024 US presidential race is no different, with celebrity voices having entered the chat and speaking their minds freely. Here are five celebrities who have openly expressed support for their chosen candidates:

Taylor Swift:

Inarguably one of the biggest celebrities on this list, Taylor Swift has not wasted many opportunities to openly show her support for presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The billionaire pop star takes to her Instagram right after the presidential debate between Harris and Trump. She made another statement on stage as she received her MTV Video Music Award, chiming in more support for Harris and asking everyone to make the right choice while voting.

George Clooney:

George Clooney was one of the first celebrities to publicly call for President Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race after a disastrous first debate. Some say he may have single-handedly been the catalyst that prompted the Democrats to ask Biden to step down and nominate Kamala Harris instead. Clooney’s support of Biden had helped rally bigger donors and celebrity support, even among longtime critics of Biden, long before the debate. A fundraiser he headlined in June raised $28 million for Biden’s reelection campaign, the most for the Democratic Party from a single event in history.

Charli XCX:

Despite her British origins, pop artist/DJ Charli XCX helped Kamala Harris gain traction with Gen Z fold by tweeting "kamala IS brat," an endorsement that Harris' team was quick to acknowledge by changing the display photo on her X account to the “brat” green color. They also used the same font from Charli's album of the same name.

A tweet made by Charli XCX in support of Kamala HarrisX

Hulk Hogan:

An American icon, former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan attended the 2024 Republican Convention and extended his support for Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy. Hogan dramatically ripped off his shirt on stage at the Republican National Convention last month to reveal a Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath, and called Trump his "hero" and the "greatest president of the United States."

Elon Musk:

Musk’s endorsement was supposed to rejuvenate the Trump campaign. He announced it the same day Trump survived an assassination attempt. His backing meant that Trump would have all the resources and social-media firepower

.

Elon Musk's endorsement tweet for Donald Trump after the attempt on his life in JulyX

It further adds to the perception that Trump has won over a big share of America’s tech industry and business owners. Musk’s endorsement was arguably one of the most coveted endorsements of the election cycle, given his unprecedented mix of money, celebrity status and media outreach.