We’re less than a week away from the US Presidential Election, with Americans going to the polls across the country to have their say on whether Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will call the White House their home for the next four years.
In the lead up to November 5, social media will be abuzz with friends, family members and media organizations sharing key facts about Republican and Democrat policies, while celebrities will highlight the candidates they are endorsing.
Taylor Swift made headlines around the world when she publicly backed Harris on Instagram last month, in a post that has been liked more than 11million times and counting.
In August, the Foo Fighters took matters into their own hands after the Trump campaign used their song, My Hero, at an event in Arizona without permission – a representative confirmed that any royalties the group receive from the unpermitted usage will be ‘donated to the Harris/Walz campaign’.
Beyonce Knowles reportedly threatened the Trump campaign for the unauthorized use of Freedom, from her Lemonade album, in a video, before allowing Harris to use the same track in her campaign. She also supported her on stage at a rally in Houston on Friday.
As some of the biggest artists, their involvement on such a public scale is seemingly priceless for any hopeful, but how much do these big name endorsements really matter in the lead up to the vote, and how much can they sway the public when it really counts?
Public relations expert Anthony Burr suggested that their support could truly be invaluable, telling : ‘It’s always interesting to look into celebrity endorsements around major elections and what impact they actually have, especially now given that Beyonce and Taylor Swift have publicly endorsed Kamala Harris.
‘Does it matter? Well from a purely public relations standpoint, yes it does. Through history, the general public consensus has been that most politicians are dull bureaucrats. Since the 1950s, political aides have recognized that adding a touch of glamour to vamp up Presidential campaigns wins votes.
‘And the quick win of recruiting the most popular artists from stage and screen with engaged fanbases has been the most impactful.’
In the last week alone, Jennifer Aniston and Selena Gomez were among the huge names voting early and declaring their support for Harris on social media, while Desperate Housewives’ Drea de Matteo vouched for the Republican party.
Dr Phil McGraw spoke on stage at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday and, at the same event, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe sparked huge controversy when he referred to Puerto Rico as a ‘floating island of garbage’.
This led to a wave of other stars publicly backing the current Vice President – Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny slammed the comments, as did Jennifer Lopez, who will be speaking at a Democrat rally in Las Vegas today.
Film icon and former Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger surprised many yesterday when he followed suit in backing the Democrats, insisting that he doesn’t ‘like either party right now’.
‘It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand,’ he said in a lengthy Twitter post. ‘I want to tune out. But I can’t. Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets.
‘To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious. And I will always be an American before I am a Republican. That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
‘I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You don’t recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.
‘We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.
‘That’s enough reason for me to share my vote with all of you. I want to move forward as a country, and even though I have plenty of disagreements with their platform, I think the only way to do that is with Harris and Walz. Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us.’
Burr shared that some of the bigger stars stepping up could mean the difference between millions of votes when the ballots pour in – but this is hugely dependent on who steps up and the size of the platform they have, as well as how they offer their support.
He explained that, while celebrities have given candidates ‘bumps’ in the past, others have had little to no impact, despite being household names.
‘When Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama with an electrifying speech – it was reported that it gave his election a bump by a couple of million votes,’ he recalled.
‘Frank Sinatra famously backed John F Kennedy and even recorded a song to get him elected. More than 20 years later he donated millions to get Ronald Reagan into the White House.
‘In 2016 Donald Trump brought in Mike Tyson to influence the African-American vote, and it helped a little, but not a lot amongst that demographic.
‘The likes of A-List actors George Clooney and Angelina Jolie have also been vocal in politics, but their effect on the polling stations has been marginal.
‘So, it depends on the celebrity and, crucially how they commend candidates to a skeptical voter. In truth, many voters will see a celebrity getting involved for their own personal gain or self-aggrandizement.’
Following the Presidential debate in September, Swift issued a lengthy statement on Instagram, calling out the misinformation surrounding AI media of her endorsing Trump – while also declaring that she will be voting for Harris next week.
She also took the opportunity to urge her loyal fans to do their own research ‘on the issues and the stances these candidates take’.
‘I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,’ she wrote. ‘I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.
‘I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.
‘I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.
‘I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early.’
The Love Story musician signed off her message, ‘With love and hope, Taylor Swift. Childless Cat Lady,’ in response to JD Vance’s heavily criticized comments about leading Democrats being ‘a bunch of childless cat ladies.’
Knowles, who previously performed as part of Hilary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, echoed her sentiments at Harris’ rally a few days ago, beside former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland.
‘I’m not here as a celebrity, I’m not here as a politician, I’m here as a mother,’ she began. ‘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. We must vote, and we need you.’
Burr explained that if the celebrity ‘matches the endorsement’ with the ‘depth and resonance’ that Swift and Knowles – and Winfrey in previous years – deployed, this could attract millions more votes.
‘Before Harris’ promotion as the Presidential candidate, Joe Biden had been trying to recruit Knowles to endorse him for years, because the data pointed to her and her fanbase as vote winners in their droves,’ he added.
‘Swift is the globe’s biggest star and influencer. Now in her mid-thirties, she is a surefire winner in middle America with families who have kids from 6 years old right the way through to teens and tweens and their parents – both mums who were teens when Taylor first came to prominence, and the newest phenomena of Swifties, the “girl dads”.
‘We can therefore see why, when Swift endorsed Harris on Instagram, it got almost 10 million likes alone.
‘Now that does matter.’