As election day in the US draws closer, some stars have been speaking out against Biden – who will be running for the presidency again, against Donald Trump – through their music and social media.
Cardi B isn’t happy about budget cuts, Dwayne Johnson wants to keep his ‘politics to myself’, while Macklemore and comedian Michael Rapaport are turning their backs due to the Israel-Gaza war.
As the US presidential election inches closer, candidates will surely be looking to celebrities to help them bring in more votes. Last year, Taylor Swift’s influence on voters was clear after one Instagram post asking her fans to register to vote led to 35,000 new registrations.
According to The New York Times, part of Joe Biden’s strategy was to approach influencers and TikTok stars to help endorse him on their platforms – but it seems that some well-known stars who previously supported him have had a change of heart.
From the war on Gaza to budget cuts in NYC, here’s why these five celebs have changed their minds about him.
1. Cardi B: “I’m endorsing no presidents no more”
Cardi B departs The Mark Hotel to attend the 2023 Met Gala, in New York, US, in May 2023. Photo: Getty Images
Rapper Cardi B famously endorsed Biden in his 2020 successful bid for the White House, telling Swaggy Sie that if Donald Trump won the election, “I’m going to have a meltdown.”
But she’s since had a change of heart regarding her support for Biden, slamming some of his policies during an Instagram Live last year. She spoke about budget cuts in New York while the US had funded some of Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
“I’m endorsing no presidents no more. Joe Biden is talking about, ‘Yeah, we can fund two wars,’ … talking about, ‘Yeah, we got it, we’re the greatest nation,’” she said. “No … we’re not. We don’t got it, and we’re going through some s*** right now. So say it!”
2. Macklemore: “The blood is on your hands, Biden”
Macklemore poses at the 62nd Annual BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills, California, in 2014. Photo: Reuters
In May, Macklemore released the song “Hind’s Hall”, which supported the pro-Palestine protests across US universities and slammed the US government’s aid efforts to Israel amid the country’s war on Gaza. Some of the lyrics include: “You can ban TikTok, take us out the algorithm. But it’s too late, we’ve seen the truth, we bear witness.”
In the song, he added, “the blood is on your hands, Biden” and rapped that he would not be voting for the US president later this year.
3. Michael Rapaport: “I’m officially un-endorsing Joe Biden”
Conversely, comedian Michael Rapaport said his U-turn was because of a pause in the US supplying weapons to Israel. Per Newsweek, the delay occurred after Biden said Israel should not launch offensive operations in the city of Rafah.
“I never thought I would say this. I’m not voting for you. You’re not getting my vote,” said Rapaport in a video on X (formerly Twitter), adding that he thought many other Jewish-Americans are unlikely to vote for Biden.
4. Hunter Schafer: “Let Gaza live”
Hunter Schafer was arrested after protesting against US president Joe Biden outside NBC’s headquarters in New York City, in February. Photo: @hunterschafer/Instagram
In February, Euphoria star Hunter Schafer made headlines after being arrested while protesting Biden’s appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. AP reported that Schafer joined other protesters who were calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. The group chanted the popular pro-Palestinian slogan “let Gaza live” and wore shirts saying “not in our name”.
5. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: “[I’ll] keep my politics to myself”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a Hollywood star. Photo: @therock/Instagram
In 2020, Johnson wasn’t afraid to back his preferred politicians, sitting down with Biden and his VP Kamala Harris to confirm his endorsement. At the time, he said they were “the best choice to lead our country”. Four years later though, he’s had a change of heart.
In an interview on Fox News, he said he felt an obligation to endorse a candidate, but the consequence of that public announcement was “division”. He said his goal is to bring the country together and, as a result, he will “keep my politics to myself”.
Former president of the US Donald Trump is a presidential candidate for the election this November. Photo: AFP
But while the Hollywood star may not be saying who he is going to vote for, the fact that he is not publicly backing Biden again and commented that he was not happy with the state of the US right now, does give some indication of where his vote may go.
