Why you shouldn’t trust celebrities with your vote
Election day is a little more than two months away. This means that the political atmosphere is broadening its normal reach. It’s no secret that every election season, actors, singers, dancers, influencers and more publicly endorse who they are casting their vote for and why.
Taylor Swift, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Elon Musk and Oprah are just some of the names that have endorsed presidential candidates in the current and prior elections. Candidates not only just seek a statement of endorsement, but also invite celebrities to their events, rallies and even the given party’s national convention.
With social media creating many of today’s and tomorrow’s celebrities, and expanding the range of content they make, these well-known figures throwing out endorsements can be just about anyone, from a well-known Hollywood actor to a Twitch star who streams in their bedroom.
Celebrities are people with the same rights as us all. If they feel like publicly announcing their vote for any kind of office, they have the complete right to do that and are protected under the First Amendment of the Constitution. No one shall infringe on their right to do so.
However, there is such a thing as the responsibility of voters to make sure they are correctly informed. When it comes to the population of America’s voters, celebrities always have a strong reach, but when talking about something completely unrelated to their field of expertise, how much weight should their political endorsement have?
If you’re going to decide to cast your vote this November for a specific candidate solely or partially because your favorite celebrity or influencer said they were voting for them, you better have a logical and well-thought-out explanation as to why.
For example, Award-winning singer Billie Eilish recently endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in a video with her brother, Finneas. The video was short and to the point. Eilish said that she was voting for Harris to fight for “reproductive rights, planet and democracy.” She didn’t give any reason as to why.
Use whatever words you want, but insisting democracy is on the line like so many others do isn’t productive. It’s certainly not good considering the increase in political violence in the last two months with two men getting far too close to killing a former President.
Finneas also referenced resisting Project 2025, calling it dangerous. Making claims like this when endorsing a candidate as someone with a following is irresponsible. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 has never been endorsed by Donald Trump and differs from the Republican nominee’s actual plan, Agenda 47.
Taylor Swift also publicly endorsed Kamala Harris for president on Instagram following the first debate between Harris and Trump. The post currently has over 11 eleven million likes. While Swift did bring up President Trump at the beginning of her post, her endorsement stated that she had done her research and strongly encouraged voters to do the same on issues that matter to them.
Encouraging independent research and thought, rather than using Buzzwords like “fighting for democracy” or “Project 2025” is a much more productive and respectable way to go about a political endorsement. I don’t agree with who Taylor Swift is voting for, but I can at least respect using her mass platform to invite people to educate themselves, rather than telling them who they should vote for.
In addition, many celebrities also came out this election season in support of Donald Trump, including Dana White, Hulk Hogan and Elon Musk. White and Hogan both spoke at the RNC and gave solid speeches, hyping up Trump for later in the night, both highlighting his resilience after his assassination attempt just days prior to the RNC. They were short, quick and fun. Musk’s endorsement came from a post on X almost immediately following the assassination attempt.
My point in naming multiple celebrities from different fields who endorse both candidates is that they all have one thing in common. Regardless of what they do or who they’re endorsing, not a single name I mentioned is recognized for anything affiliated with politics. I acknowledge some of them do have a solid business background, but that’s just one part of politics. While some may do their own research, they haven’t done anything that the average American can’t do on their own and be better off because of it.
You may have great reasons for looking up to your favorite celebrities, but that doesn’t mean that what they’re telling you isn’t biased or misinformation. Make a well-educated choice about who you’re voting for, with multiple reasons and sources.
