Harris And Trump’s Biggest Celebrity Endorsements: Willie Nelson Hosting ‘Cannabis Community’ Zoom For Harris
by Mary Whitfill Roeloffs · ForbesTopline
Celebrities have weighed in on the 2024 presidential race in a variety of ways, with some of the biggest names in sports and Hollywood hoping their backing can move the needle this November.
Key Facts
Country artist Willie Nelson on Saturday said he will host a "Cannabis Community Zoom" call to support Kamala Harris on Thursday, Oct. 24 with stars Whoopi Goldberg, Brittney Spencer, Margo Price and Dahr Jamail slated to appear.
Musicians Lizzo and Usher campaigned for Harris in the swing states of Michigan and Georgia, respectively, over the weekend, and Lizzo referenced a disparaging line about Detroit from Trump in her speech: "They say if Kamala wins then the whole country will be like Detroit. Proud like Detroit, resilient like Detroit,” she said.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers players Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace appeared alongside former President Donald Trump at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and the controversial former wide receiver Brown took the chance to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris’s vice presidential pick, Tim Walz, saying: “Tampon Tim Walz, he isn't a real football coach. He could never guard me.”
Other former Steelers Jerome Bettis and "Mean" Joe Greene, as well as the son of Franco Harris, endorsed Harris for president.
Cher said in a video she is "proudly voting" for Harris and Walz because they "will fight to protect our rights."
Author and finance guru Dave Ramsey said he will vote for Donald Trump because that is the candidate most likely to bring him "a tax policy I like, an immigration policy I like, a foreign policy I like... a gun policy I like, a climate change policy I like, a woke policy I like."
Musician Marc Anthony, the son of Puerto Rican parents, appeared in an ad for Kamala Harris in which he slammed Trump’s handling of Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in 2017, and said "I remember what he did and what he said... About our people."
What Other Celebrities Have Endorsed Harris?
Billionaire pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris in an Instagram post minutes after a debate between Harris and Trump wrapped up. She’s joined by musicians Olivia Rodrigo, John Legend, Cardi B, Kesha, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas, Chappell Roan, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, along with Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles. Artists Stevie Nicks, Charli XCX and Beyoncé have not made outright endorsements but have signaled support for Harris, with the later giving her campaign permission to use her song "Freedom."
A litany of actors have also offered support, including George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, Rosie O’Donnell, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cynthia Nixon, Mindy Kaling, Tony Goldwyn, Kerry Washington, Nick Offerman, Jane Fonda, Ben Stiller, Kathy Griffin, John Stamos, Ed Helms, Tiffany Haddish, Ike Barinholtz, Matt Damon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Aubrey Plaza, Jennifer Aniston, Mel Brooks, Lynda Carter, LeVar Burton, Anthony Rapp, Misha Collins, Mark Hamill, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Fran Drescher, Bryan Cranston and Anne Hathaway . Directors Ken Burns and Spike Lee, “West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin and TV show host and producer Andy Cohen have also said they support Harris.
Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle and former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also thrown their support behind Harris. Former President Jimmy Carter, now 100, reportedly told his son he was trying to make it to the milestone birthday so he could cast his vote for Kamala Harris.
Billionaire Mark Cuban has publicly supported the Harris/Walz ticket, and other billionaire supporters of Harris include Laurene Powell Jobs, Arthur Blank, Michael Bloomberg, John Pritzker, Sheryl Sandberg, Eric Schmidt, Steven Spielberg, John Fish, Reed Hastings, Theodore Leonsis, Christy Walton, Elaine Wynn, Melinda French Gates and Sean Parker.
Others who have said they’ll vote for Harris include Republican political commentator Ana Navarro, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, fashion designer billionaire Tory Burch, Martha Stewart, scientist Bill Nye, Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera and former member of the Trump administration and “The Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman.
What Other Celebrities Have Backed Trump?
UFC President and personality Dana White endorsed Trump on stage at the Republican National Convention. Actors Dennis Quaid, Jon Voight, Rosanne Barr and Zachary Levi have all expressed support.
Musicians Kid Rock, Amber Rose, Chris Janson, Jason Aldean, reggaeton star Nicky Jam and Azealia Banks have supported Trump, and 50 Cent responded to the attempted assassination of the former president by putting Trump's face on the cover of his "Get Rich or Die Tryin’” album (it’s hard to call the response an official endorsement, he did appear to support the president in 2020 before apparently backtracking).
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy in January said voting for Trump over Biden was a "no-brainer” and he also has the support of Joe Germanotta, a New York City restaurant owner and father of pop star Lady Gaga.
Public-facing billionaires like Elon Musk and Steve Wynn have also supported the former president, and his donors include billionaires Bill Ackman, Marc Andreesen, Dan Snyder, Linda McMahon, Diane Hendricks, Miriam Adelson, Kelcy Warren, Timothy Dunn, Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein, Phil Ruffin, Jeff Sprecher and Kelly Loeffler, Jimmy John Liautaud, Geoffrey Palmer, Bernard Marcus, Robert “Woody” Johnson, Kenny Troutt, George Bishop, J. Joe Ricketts, Andrew Beal, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Don Ahern, Roger Penske, Richard Kurtz, Antonio Gracias and Douglas Leone.
Trump thanked Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, for her "defending him" after she lashed out at social media users who criticized her for liking several pro-Trump posts last month (Mahomes has not formally endorsed a candidate).
What Athletes Have Endorsed Trump?
Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, boxing legend Mike Tyson, former New York Giants players Lawrence Taylor and Ottis “O.J.” Anderson and boxing promoter Don King have all supported Trump.
What Athletes Have Endorsed Harris?
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention and the Warriors star Steph Curry said she was the “easy choice.” A campaign effort called Athletes for Harris launched in September with the endorsement of 15 Pro Football Hall of Famers and co-chairs of Athletes for Harris include former NBA star and billionaire Magic Johnson, Eagles defensive tackle Thomas Booker, women’s basketball legend Dawn Staley, tennis legend Billie Jean King, retired soccer player Ali Krieger, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and NBA point guard Chris "CP3" Paul.
Surprising Fact
Former KKK Leader David Duke said on his radio show that he was endorsing Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, for president. He called her the "only candidate who speaks clearly against the war in the Middle East." Stein said she rejected the endorsement, calling Duke a "racist troll" and "white supremacist.” Duke endorsed Trump for president in 2020 and 2016.