Who are the stars publicly supporting Donald Trump?
Elon Musk speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024
Copyright Evan Vucci/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved
By Jonny Walfisz
Published on 02/11/2024 – 10:15 GMT+1
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From pro wrestlers to QAnon fans, there’s a growing group of celebrities willing to endorse Donald Trump in the US presidential election.
With a few days to go before the US election, celebrities are increasingly putting their support behind their preferred candidates. Through Hollywood, the music industry and other culture fields, the general trend has been for celebrities to come out in favour of Kamala Harris.
While that’s hardly surprising, what is interesting is the relatively comprehensive list of celebrities that are publicly tying themselves to her opponent’s mast.
Divisive at the best of time, Donald Trump has struggled to retain the acceptance from many celebrity figures that he enjoyed before his political career.
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Just this week, 50 Cent claimed that he was asked to perform as part of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. The ‘In Da Club’ rapper told ‘The Breakfast Club’ podcast that the ex-US president wanted him to perform at the recent controversial Madison Square Gardens Rally for a $3 million (€2.8 million) fee.
50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, also reportedly refused the offer to play his song ‘Many Men (Wish Death)’ at the Republican National Convention (RNC), earlier this year for a similar sum.
The 2003 song from 50 Cent’s debut album ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ is known for its music video which depicts when the rapper was shot nine times in 2000. Since the Pennsylvania assassination attempt against Trump this year, the song has surged in popularity and the rapper has played into that popularity, performing alongside an image of his album cover altered to feature the presidential candidate’s face.
50 Cent performs a Canadian Football League game between the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Vancouver, British Columbia
50 Cent performs a Canadian Football League game between the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions on Saturday, June 15, 2024, in Vancouver, British ColumbiaDARRYL DYCK/AP
50 Cent joins the exhaustive list of musicians, actors, and other members of the media to shun the controversial ex-president. Barely a week goes by without a musician threatening to file legal action for Trump’s use of their songs on the campaign trail.
In the days before his political aspirations, Trump’s name was a somewhat regular fixture of the hip-hop scene. His perceived status as a capitalist hustler had been used as an appealing image in songs by artists including Rick Ross, Nas, Lil Wayne, and Mac Miller.
Rarer is the artist willing to affiliate themselves with the convicted felon since his successful 2016 presidential run.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the celebrities that have put their reputations behind the controversial political candidate.
Anuel AA, Justin Quiles and Nicky Jam
In recent months, Trump has coveted a Latin voter-base and managed to achieve it by receiving the public endorsements of three Puerto Rican musicians. Anuel AA and Justin Quiles joined Trump on stage at a Pennsylvania rally in August. Both have praised Trump with Anuel claiming that while Biden promised things for Puerto Ricans, he hasn’t delivered. Similarly, Nicky Jam joined Trump on stage in Las Vegas to endorse him in September.
But, after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe labelled Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” at the Madison Square Garden rally, Jam rescinded his endorsement of the ex-president on Wednesday.
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin, retired, listens to a speaker during a ceremony awarding him with an honorary appointment of Brigadier General at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Friday, 2024
Buzz Aldrin, retired, listens to a speaker during a ceremony awarding him with an honorary appointment of Brigadier General at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Friday, 2024Marcio Jose Sanchez/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved
Second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin shared that he had voted for Trump earlier this week. The 94-year-old astronaut made it clear he was a single-issue voter. Although Trump fans are usually concerned with a different kind of alien, Aldrin noted that “under President Trump’s first term, America saw a revitalised interest in space.”
Elon Musk
On the note of space exploration, one of the most major celebrities to endorse Trump is one who has most to gain from his presidency. SpaceX founder Elon Musk hasn’t been shy of his support for the convict, appearing at multiple rallies doing his silly little star jump – which some suspect to be a lame attempt at branding for X – and claiming that if Trump loses, he’ll be sent to prison.
Musk has used X to promote Trump and his spurious agenda to have him elected – whether to enhance his dwindling successful social media platform or for government contracts with his many companies – are clearly self interested. It still doesn’t make the lecherous Twitter troll any less grating.
Kanye West
As if this list wasn’t already crazy enough. Of course Kanye ‘ Ye’ West has endorsed Trump. After his own public meltdowns including but not limited to his own presidential run, hateful Twitter tirades, and trash albums, West’s support of Trump is barely shocking. Moving on.
Jim Caviezel and Mel Gibson
Jim Caviezel speaks during a “rosary rally” on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, in Norwood, Ohio
Jim Caviezel speaks during a “rosary rally” on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, in Norwood, OhioDarron Cummings/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.
Jim Caviezel famously starred in Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ, which came before both stars quickly made themselves personas non grata through Gibson’s infamous antisemitic rant to the police and Caviezel’s slide into QAnon conspiracy theories. Both have endorsed Trump.
Jake Paul
YouTuber and professional boxer Jake Paul released an 18-minute video on Thursday night endorsing Trump. Paul, famed for his and his brother’s bottom of the barrel content, has never evidently had anything interesting to say. We didn’t watch the full video.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian and Ivanka Trump in 2019
Kim Kardashian and Ivanka Trump in 2019AP Photo
This one’s less of an outright endorsement. This week, Kim Kardashian posted a selfie with Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump on social media, wishing her a happy birthday. Alongside reports that Kardashian deleted her son Saint West’s YouTube channel after he posted videos criticising Harris, it’s fair to suggest that the social media-savvy billionaire is aware that this constitutes a tacit endorsement of Trump in lieu of a contradicting endorsement.
Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker
Sorry, did you think this list was going to get more sensible as it went along? We’ve reached the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) segment of the list. Trump has long been a WWE fan, hosting the WrestleMania event in his hotels in the 80s and featuring in a plotline in the 00s. Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker have both endorsed the convicted candidate. Hogan appeared at the RNC while Trump appeared on the Undertaker’s podcast recently.
Clout-chasing Brits
Russell Brand is seen during the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee
Russell Brand is seen during the Republican National Convention Thursday, July 18, 2024, in MilwaukeeAP Photo
As the UK loves to promote its special relationship with the US, some of its celebrities have made it clear that they’d like Americans to vote for the Republican nominee. These include the newly religious following sexual assault allegations comedian Russell Brand; disgraced former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson; and Brexit architect Nigel Farage.
Jon Voight
“What do you think about this boner I’ve got?” Jon Voight’s character Hamilton Crassus III asks in Megalopolis before revealing his erection is actually a bow and arrow and killing a character called Wow Platinum. Another thing Voight, 85, has done this year is accuse Hollywood of trying to “brainwash” Americans into voting for Harris.
Kid Rock and Jason Aldean
Kid Rock performs during the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, July 18, 2024
Kid Rock performs during the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum, July 18, 2024Carolyn Kaster/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.
If it feels unfair to pair country rock stars together, well… It’s a free country, ain’t it? Unsurprisingly for anyone paying attention, Kid Rock has regularly appeared at Trump rallies while ‘Try That in a Small Town’ musician Jason Aldean has dedicated songs to the nominee at his own concerts.
Zachary Levi
Shazam actor Zachary Levi left some fans shocked when he came out in support of Trump following Robert F Kennedy Jr dropping out of the race. Since then, RFK Jr has joined Trump’s side and Levi has appeared at a Michigan rally. Levi has outwardly spoken about his concerns that this might affect his career as a Hollywood actor.
Dr. Phil
Dr. Phil speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Gardens
Dr. Phil speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square GardensEvan Vucci/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved
Talk show host Dr. Phil, who has a PhD in clinical psychology but stopped renewing his licence to practise psychology in 2006, has publicly endorsed Trump. The 74-year-old has made his support clear, appearing in front of thousands of his fans to make a case for the presidential nominee.
Joe Exotic
Remember ‘Tiger King’? The Netflix hit-show captured all of our attention in the early days of the pandemic and revolved around Joe Exotic, the 61-year-old animal sanctuary owner who is currently serving over 20 years in prison for charges of animal cruelty and attempted murder for hire. Well, he has made his presidential preference known after suspending his own presidential campaign as a Democrat. From FMC Fort Worth prison, Exotic has Tweeted his support of… guess.
