By James Gray, ITV News Producer
Following Beyonce’s and Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, celebrity backing for the Democrats continues to pour in, but it is yet to be seen how much impact they will have on the election.
Billie Eilish is another musician to endorse Harris, urging her fans to “vote like your life depends on it”.
It’s unknown exactly how influential celebrity endorsements can be in swaying voter intention, but their potential to introduce fans and make waves in the political sphere cannot be denied.
Elon Musk, who endorses Trump, has even promised to give $1 million (£770,775) every day to a registered voter in key swing states ahead of the US presidential election.
Which celebrities have offered their backing to Harris or Donald Trump? ITV News explains.
Beyonce (Harris)
“I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician, I’m here as a mother,” Beyoncé said as she endorsed Harris at a campaign rally in Houston, Texas on October 26.
“A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all of our children live in, a world where we have the freedom to control our bodies, a world where we’re not divided.
“Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what’s possible with no ceilings, no limitations,” she continued. “We must vote, and we need you.”
The 32-time Grammy Award winner was joined by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland before introducing the Vice President on stage.
Houston is Beyoncé’s hometown, and Harris’s presidential campaign has adopted Beyoncé’s 2016 track “Freedom” from her acclaimed album “Lemonade” as its anthem.
Taylor Swift (Harris)
Swift, who boasts hundreds of millions of followers across her social media accounts, hailed Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader,” when announcing her support for the Democrat candidate.
She explained her decision by saying Harris “fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them”, adding: “I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
Swift revealed that her mind was partially made after Trump shared artificial intelligence (AI) generated images of her suggesting that she had endorsed him.
Elon Musk (Trump)
Elon Musk, despite previously suggesting that Trump was too old to re-run for president, has become one of his most high-profile backers.
The two men have shifted from being bitter rivals to unlikely allies over the span of one election season.
Musk, who owns both X and SpaceX, formally endorsed the former president two days after an assassination attempt on Trump’s life in July.
The world’s richest man also announced he will be giving away $1 million (£770,775) every day to a registered voter in key swing states. Winners will be randomly selected from those who sign a pro-US Constitution petition promoted by Musk’s campaign group, AmericaPAC.
George Clooney (Harris)
Actor George Clooney is a major Democrat fundraiser and is seen by many backers of the party in Hollywood as a compass of sorts given his level of engagement and activism.
When Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Clooney threw his backing behind Harris, saying in a statement to ITV News’ US partner CNN: “President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He’s saving democracy once again.
“We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”
Amber Rose (Trump)
Rapper and reality television star Amber Rose was one of a number of celebrities who spoke at the Republican National Convention (RNC) earlier this year.
She had previously spoken out against Trump, but explained how after meeting his “red-hat-wearing supporters” she realised “these are my people, this is where I belong”.
Rose went on to say that American families were “safer, wealthier and stronger” under Trump.
Barbra Streisand (Harris)
The Way We Were singer Barbra Streisand shared a statement with the New York Times in which she offered her endorsement for Harris.
She said: “President Biden and Vice President Harris ushered this nation out of the Trump chaos.
“I’m so grateful to President Biden and so excited to support Kamala Harris. She will work to restore women’s reproductive freedom and continue with the accomplishments begun in the Biden-Harris administration.”
Dana White (Trump)
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO and President Dana White is a long-time supporter of Trump.
When asked to introduce the former president before he accepted the Republican presidential nomination, White hailed Trump as the “toughest, most resilient human-being I have ever met in my life”.
John Legend (Harris)
Singer John Legend performed at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and has said he is “excited” to help Harris win the election “in any way I can”.
In an Instagram post last July, he said: “I’m so ready to work to help unite the pro-democracy coalition to reject Trump’s authoritarian, oppressively Project 2025.”
He has since released a video criticising Trump for remarks he made during his head-to-head debate with Harris, where he claimed that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio – Legend’s hometown.
Hulk Hogan (Trump)
Former wrestler Hulk Hogan provided arguably one of the more memorable endorsements of any celebrity this election cycle at the RNC.
The WWE legend ripped his shirt off during a speech in which he referenced the assassination attempt on Trump’s life.
He called Trump his “hero” and the “greatest president of the United States”.
Eminem (Harris)
Rapper Eminem endorsed Harris while at a campaign rally in Detroit, saying she supported the “freedoms” and “future” of the US.
The Grammy Award winner said: “I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.”
Billie Eilish (Harris)
In a social media video, Eilish urged her fans to back Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.
She said: “We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet and our democracy.”
Her brother and long-time collaborator Finneas O’Connell was also in the video post to her more than seven million followers.
Bruce Springsteen (Harris)
Singer Bruce Springsteen has said he is backing Harris because he wants “a president who reveres the Constitution”.
Speaking at a rally for the vice-president, he said: “There is only one candidate in this election who holds those principles dear, Kamala Harris.
“She’s running to be the 47th president of the United States. Donald Trump is running to be an American tyrant.”
Who else is backing Harris?
Singers Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Olivia Rodrigo are just some of the other high-profile names to have thrown their support behind Harris’ campaign.
They are joined on Team Harris by the likes of Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, actor Nick Offerman, film director Spike Lee and actresses Jane Fonda and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Who else is backing Trump?
Team Trump can count singers Kid Rock and Jason Aldean, TV personality Dr Phil, and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy among its supporters of the former president.
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