US Election: Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Springsteen and even The Avengers have come out in support of Kamala Harris, while Donald Trump has the likes of Elon Musk, Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan supporting him.
Can the influence of celebrities sway voters when it comes to the US election?
With many of the biggest music and movie stars in the world backing her, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will certainly be hoping so.
Democrats have long enjoyed a celebrity advantage, which has only grown during Republican Donald Trump’s rise in politics. However, as Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign showed, star power is not always enough.
According to a recent YouGov poll, about one in 10 Americans (11%) say a celebrity has ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue, while 7% say they have supported a political candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.
As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, here are the stars backing each of the two candidates – starting with Ms Kamala Harris.
In a clip shared by Hulk star Mark Ruffalo on social media, the Avengers assembled to show their support for Ms Harris.
Taylor Swift told her 283 million followers: “I’m voting for Kamala Harris 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.”
In response, Mr Trump said Swift would “probably pay a price” for her comments.
Arnold Schwarzenegger:The action movie star is a former Republican governor of California.
However, he has said he is voting for the Democrats this time, saying: “I will always be an American before I am a Republican.”
In a lengthy post on social media, Schwarzenegger said he did not “like either party right now” and that he does not “really do endorsements”, but felt he had to speak out.
He went on to harshly criticise Mr Trump for rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential vote, saying this was as “un-American as it gets”.
He ended by saying the country needs 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.”
Jenifer Lopez: The actress and singer spoke out during a Democratic rally in Las Vegas, criticising comments made during a Trump rally about Puerto Rico being a “floating island of garbage”.
“You can’t even spell American without Rican,” she responded.
Lopez told supporters she was “an American woman” and a “proud daughter and son of Puerto Rico”.
Madonna: Pop royalty Madonna revealed she returned home to the US following a trip to Paris to vote for Ms Kamala Harris.
Alongside a selection of photos of her time in the French capital, the singer, 66, posted on social media: “Paris was so fun! It was hard to leave, but I had to come home to VOTE Kamala Harris for president!!!!”
Beyonce: she appeared at a Democratic rally in Houston, Texas, in October, telling voters: “We need to sing a new song.”
The star said she was not attending the event as a celebrity, but was there “as a mother”.
She added: “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.”
Rock icon, Bruce Springsteen is also among the stars who have appeared at Democratic rallies.
Performing on stage in Clarkston, Georgia, he used time between his numbers to argue Ms Harris will protect democracy and fight for women’s reproductive rights.
“He does not understand this country, its history or what it means to be American,” Springsteen said of Mr Trump.
Eminem: The rapper attended a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan, where he introduced Barack Obama.
Eminem told the crowd Ms Harris “supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld”.
LeBron James, Usher Raymond, Charli XCX, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Rock, Leonardo DiCaprio Billie Eilish, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Cher are also among the stars who have endorsed Ms Harris.
Mr Trump’s famous backers might not be as starry, but he has several who hold a deep appeal with his core base of voters.
Here are some of the big names who are supporting the former president.
The tech billionaire has donated $75m (£58m) to a campaign group he set up to support Mr Trump’s presidential bid.
Musk previously supported the Democrats but has become a vocal backer of Mr Trump in recent months, and joined the Republican candidate on stage at a rally in Pennsylvania.
At the event, Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, jumped around on the stage and described the election as a “must-win situation”.
Hulk Hogan: The wrestling star is among the celebrities publicly endorsing Mr Trump, appearing at the Republican National Convention in the summer and at a rally in New York last month.
Mel Gibson: The Hollywood star will reportedly be voting for Mr Trump.
According to US entertainment site TMZ, when asked about the election, the actor replied: “I don’t think it’s going to surprise anyone who I’ll vote for.”
Dennis Quaid: The US actor, known for films including The Parent Trap and The Day After Tomorrow, gave a speech at a Trump rally in Coachella, California, in October.
“It’s time to pick a side,” he told the crowd. “Are we gonna be a nation that stands for the constitution? Or for Tik-Tok?
Veteran actor Jon Voight, who is Angelina Jolie’s father, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump.
In a video shared on social media, he told his followers: “We’re now in a time of the darkest plague ever. And our chance, our only chance, is this November.”
Kid Rock: The musician has appeared at several Trump rallies and has been vocal in his support for the Republican presidential candidate on social media.
In a recent video, he responded to Eminem’s support for Ms Harris, saying he had been friends with the rapper for years but he does not agree with his politics.
He credited both Eminem and “people like Taylor Swift for standing up and not being afraid to be vocal”, but said his stance is “unequivocally MAGA, because I know in my heart, mind, body and soul that President Trump will make America great again”.
