George Clooney endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday. He called her White House bid “historic” after President Joe Biden left the 2024 presidential race. Clooney is an important figure to many Democratic supporters in Hollywood.
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
He is known for his activism and engagement. Earlier this month, Clooney said Biden should not run again. This was after Biden did poorly in a recent debate.
In a statement to CNN, actor/Democratic fundraiser George Clooney endorses VP Kamala Harris:
“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.”
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) July 23, 2024
Many people agreed with Clooney. It played a part in Biden’s choice to leave the race on Sunday. “President Biden has shown what true leadership is.
I will do all that I can to help elect @KamalaHarris the next President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/bHkiqpa7Lg
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) July 21, 2024
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,” Clooney said. Before, Clooney’s support for Biden helped get more donors and celebrities to back him.
Even those who were not excited at first. In June, Clooney was the main host of a fundraiser. Former President Barack Obama was also there.
It raised $28 million for Biden’s campaign. That is the most ever raised for the Democratic Party from one event. But in his op-ed, Clooney was worried about Biden serving another term.
He said Biden’s debate showed he was not fit. “He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate,” Clooney wrote. He was talking about Biden’s poor showing at the June 27 presidential debate.
Clooney’s new statement is one of many endorsements for Harris. State groups have also supported her. Harris has received far more than the 1,976 pledged delegates needed to win the nomination on the first ballot.
This is based on delegate estimates. Michael Williams helped with this report. © 2024 Cable News Network.
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Kamala Harris is using a new, bright image based on pop culture for her campaign. It is shaping up to be a “brat summer” for her. The movement got a big boost when British pop singer Charli XCX tweeted, “kamala IS brat.” Charli XCX’s album “Brat” is very popular right now.
Her praise seems to be more than just a fan being excited. It sums up a cultural moment that Harris’s team wants to use. In Charli XCX’s view, “Brat” is about a lifestyle from the early 2000s.
It is about excess and rave culture. It shows a person who might be a little messy and likes to party. But they are also very confident, even when things are a bit crazy.
Young people like these ideas. Figures like Julia Fox, Chloë Sevigny, Hari Nef, and Emma Chamberlain have made them popular. After Charli XCX’s tweet, the Harris campaign used the bright lime green color from Charli’s album cover.
It was not just for looks. The campaign’s TikTok videos now use Charli’s music too. This includes the song “365”, which is about exciting nightlife and youthful energy.
“Young voters are very important for winning in November,” said Gevin Reynolds. He used to write speeches for Harris. “Using the meme shows that the campaign wants to reach young people where they are.”
Many people like this idea.
But some older experts are a bit confused by it. CNN’s Jake Tapper joked that he would “aspire to be brat.” Stephen Colbert showed a Brat-themed TikTok dance on his show. Activists like David Hogg pointed out how important Charli XCX’s tweet could be.
It might get more young people to vote. But as Kelley Heyer said, just being like the Brat lifestyle may not be enough. Heyer is a popular TikTok creator.
She said, “If Kamala wants to be a brat, she needs to promise to make abortion legal and protect it for the whole country. And also wear apple green.”
As the campaign goes on, it is clear that memes and support from pop culture are becoming important tools. They can get younger voters interested.
These efforts alone cannot win an election. But they bring a new and lively way of talking to politics. This could help Harris’s campaign a lot.
A month ago, many big names in Hollywood came out to support President Joe Biden. Jeffrey Katzenberg, who used to be the head of DreamWorks Animation, planned the event. George Clooney, Barbra Streisand, and Julia Roberts were there.
Jimmy Kimmel led an interview with Biden and former President Barack Obama. It was at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Sheryl Lee Ralph sang, and Jack Black entertained the famous crowd.
The event raised over $30 million in one night.
Clooney’s Harris endorsement energizes Hollywood
That is the most ever for the Democratic Party.
But behind the praise and laughter, some cracks started to show. Some of the most powerful people in Hollywood had always supported the president. But they had real worries about the 81-year-old’s mental sharpness.
Biden’s debate performance made Hollywood insiders very concerned about his campaign. They did not know what to do next. Sometimes during the event, Biden’s answers went off track.
Obama had to jump in a few times to get the talk back on course. Damon Lindelof was one of the first to publicly say Biden should step aside. Lindelof co-created the show “Lost” and was at the fundraiser.
“Biden has to go & the Dems need to wake up,” he wrote in a column for Deadline. He added that donors should not give money until Biden stepped down. Within days, others said the same thing.
This included Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix and a big Democratic donor. The most damaging blow came a week later. George Clooney wrote a very critical op-ed for the New York Times.
He said, “The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe ‘big F-ing deal’ Biden of 2010. He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.” Clooney’s public criticism was a turning point. It created a public relations disaster for the Biden campaign.
Soon, others started saying similar things. This added to the pressure that led to Biden’s surprising decision to drop out as the Democratic nominee. This remarkable turn of events showed how much power Hollywood has in political campaigns.
And how much money from Hollywood fuels them. “In the world of politics, money is what drives these things. The fact that many in Hollywood stopped giving money had a very big impact,” said Steve Caplan.
He teaches public relations and advertising at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Now, big names in entertainment are putting their money behind Vice President Kamala Harris. Hastings gave $7 million to a super PAC supporting Harris.
This is the largest donation he has made to a single candidate, said a person close to the Netflix co-founder. “We are all in for Kamala and have been since the moment she announced,” said Andy Spahn. He is a Los Angeles political consultant to media moguls like Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg.
“There is tremendous excitement and energy here around Kamala’s candidacy. We are all in.”
For months, it had become hard to ignore Biden’s gaffes and stumbles. He fell while walking up the stairs to Air Force One.
He mixed up Syria and Libya at a news conference. He called Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump.” Allies and critics alike started to comment. But the campaign said these were just isolated incidents.
Biden called his debate performance a “bad night.”
Vice President Kamala Harris raised $81 million in the 24 hours after President Biden said he would not run again. As support for Biden slowed down, some supporters were frustrated with Katzenberg. He had assured them Biden was on his game.
He even called Biden’s age his “superpower.” Yet, Biden’s low approval ratings and a clear lack of excitement continued. This was especially true among celebrities. While Clooney and others had taken public stands, private talks happened between about 40 well-known artists and the campaign’s leadership.
John Legend, the Grammy-winning singer, shared worries about Biden’s chances in an interview. “There would be a lot of challenges to overcome if we stayed with Biden and to defeat Trump with him as our nominee,” Legend told The Times. Within days of each other, Disney heir Abigail Disney and billionaire media mogul Barry Diller said they were stopping any more financial support to the Biden campaign.
Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Endeavor chief Ari Emanuel criticized Biden’s advisers. He said they were not honest about his health. He also criticized the president for going back on his promise to pass the baton after one term.
On Sunday, Biden announced he would not continue as the Democratic nominee. He endorsed Harris. This was a big change that Hollywood was very happy about.
“People are giddy. They are not just happy; they are giddy,” said Donna Bojarsky, a longtime Democratic political consultant. “I haven’t seen this much excitement since Barack Obama or Joe Biden’s 2020 election.
Now, it’s as if a heavy weight has been lifted off.”
Within 24 hours, a growing list of big names from movies, TV, fashion, music, and media showed their support for Harris. This included Jamie Lee Curtis, Spike Lee, Questlove, and Ariana Grande. Harris is widely expected to take over as her party’s presidential nominee.
Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use her song “Freedom” for her presidential campaign. “There is an increased excitement — the feeling is clear,” said Legend. “There is an optimism that people are feeling now that they were not feeling before.
We can ride this moment to victory.” Many of those who had criticized Biden and his advisors are now excited about Harris. Her husband, Douglas Emhoff, is a well-known Los Angeles entertainment attorney. At the top of the list was Clooney.
He praised Biden for showing “true leadership.” He added, “We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.” Lindelof wrote in an email, “I have yet to speak to a single person who hasn’t been deeply impressed by everything she has said during this emotionally intense and complicated time. We’re wildly inspired by this potential ticket and we’ll give accordingly.”
As the praise and endorsements came in, so did the money. Spahn noted that Harris raised $81 million in the first 24 hours after Biden said he would not run again.
This was a record-breaking amount.
