A growing chorus of Hollywood A-listers is rallying behind Kamala Harris, eager to propel her to victory in November. However, one outspoken celebrity is cautioning that this star-studded support may ultimately prove counterproductive, particularly among small-town voters who may resent being lectured by wealthy, coastal elites.
In a recent interview with Variety, actor Zach Galifianakis, a North Carolina native, expressed his reservations about the Democratic National Committee’s reliance on celebrity endorsements. “As someone from a small town, I wish the DNC would dial back the celebrity involvement,” he said.
Galifianakis emphasized the importance of winning over rural America, suggesting that Hollywood’s influence has its limits. “Hollywood thinks it’s the center of the universe, but that’s a problem,” he noted. “Actors are citizens too, but I identify more with small-town values than Hollywood’s.”
The recent Democratic National Convention featured a slew of celebrity appearances, including Pink, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling, and the rebranded Dixie Chicks. However, the absence of two high-profile stars, Beyonce and Taylor Swift, was notable, despite a rumored effort by the Harris campaign to suggest Beyonce would perform on Thursday to boost TV ratings.
Kamala Harris is heavily reliant on celebrities not only for promotional purposes but also for fundraising. Hollywood has consistently proven to be a lucrative source of funding for Harris, who made multiple fundraising stops in Los Angeles before Joe Biden’s departure from the ticket.
It remains to be seen how much of the Biden-Harris ticket’s fundraising haul will be redirected to the Harris-Walz ticket, but it is expected to be a significant portion of the total.
