Pledging allegiance: How US celebs fought for their candidate

It’s turned into arguably one of the nastiest US presidential races of our time so it’s hardly surprising that the who’s who of Hollywood is doing their bit to encourage the public to get out and vote.

From Robert De Niro to Lady Gaga, celebrity endorsements have become one of the hottest commodities this year, with A-listers firmly split into two camps – the pro-Donald Trump camp and the anti-Trump and/or pro-Hillary Clinton camp.

So, who made their voice heard during the long road to November 8? Here are some of the most memorable celeb moments of the 2016 US presidential election.

Celebs for Hillary Clinton / against Donald Trump

Katy Perry

Arguably one of the biggest celeb supporters of Clinton, Katy Perry’s funniest moment came during the October 9 presidential debate.

Clinton’s decision not to shake her opponent’s hand became one of the most widely talked-about moments of that evening.

Robert De Niro

Possibly one of the most engaging celebrity videos of this election, actor Robert De Niro made his opinions on Donald Trump pretty clear in a clip for the #VoteYourFuture initiative.

However, because it was considered too partisan to be included in the final cut, producers went ahead and released it as a standalone video.

De Niro has also spoken out in support of Clinton, saying she “earned” her presidency.

Shakira

The Colombian singer is not a fan of The Trump. Shakira has spoken out against the Republican nominee’s comments about Mexican immigrants, tweeting: “This is a hateful and racist speech that attempts to divide a country that for years has promoted diversity and democracy! No one living in this century should stand behind so much ignorance.”

Eva Longoria

The “Desperate Housewives” actress is another celeb who has spoken out against Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric during a DNC speech in July.

“I’m a ninth generation American from a small town in South Texas. And if you know your history, Texas used to be part of Mexico. My family never crossed a border. The border crossed us.”

She added: “My father isn’t a criminal or a rapist. In fact, he’s a US veteran.”

America Ferrera

America Ferrera saw the positive side to his anti-immigrant comments. The ‘Ugly Betty’ actress wrote an open letter to Trump, published on Huffington Post, writing: “Remarks like yours will serve brilliantly to energize Latino voters and increase turnout on election day against you and any other candidate who runs on a platform of hateful rhetoric.

“You, Mr Trump, are living in an outdated fantasy of a bigoted America.”

Johnny Depp

Earlier this year, the US actor famously dressed up like Trump and impersonated him in a parody for “Funny or Die.”

Following the release of the video, Depp spoke about Trump during a university appearance.

“I approached Donald Trump as what you kind of see in him when you really watch him. There’s a pretense. There’s something created about him in the sense of bullydom. But what he is, I believe, is a brat.”

Samuel L. Jackson

In an interview with Rhapsody Magazine, Samuel L. Jackson revealed that he “would never say” he and Trump were “buddies,” but that they played golf together, adding that he is a better golfer than Trump because he doesn’t cheat.

Trump quickly took to Twitter to deny knowing Jackson, saying “to best of my knowledge I haven’t played golf with him.”

Jackson swiftly responded by posting a picture of the bill from Trump’s golf club with the caption: “A bill from the guy that doesn’t know me and never golfed with me! I’m gonna block his a** too!”

Cast of ‘Empire’

Producer Lee Daniels and the stars of the hit TV series Empire have appeared in a video supporting Clinton.

Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, Tasha Smith, Gabourey Sidibe and more celebs denounced Trump, stating: “The violence and nasty rhetoric against mankind is unacceptable. If Trump gets into office, it will only get worse. There’s only one person in this race who said Black Lives Matter.”

Miley Cyrus

Singer and animal lover Miley Cyrus posted a picture of her crying after she saw Trump posing with big game hunter Rebecca Francis.
“Yes. That is a tear rolling down my cheek dripping off the end of my nose. This makes me so unbelievable scared and sad, not only for our country but for animals that I love more than anything in this world. My heart is broken into a 100000 pieces. That picture on the right is so disturbing. YOU are not destiny! It is not your job to decide when a living thing’s life is over. YOU ARE NOT GOD NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU THINK YOU ARE! (I am moving if this is my president!)”

Lady Gaga

The “Prefect Illusion” singer has made no secret about her support for Clinton.

In true Gaga fashion, the singer posted a picture of herself wearing a stars and stripes swimsuit with the caption “#HILLARY2016 Nothing can keep a strong woman down. VOTE for the first female US president in history. Shake it up America, this country needs a little rock n’ roll.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Even Republicans are speaking out against Trump.

Following the release of the now infamous video of the Republican nominee speaking offensively about women, Arnold Schwarzenegger declared he would not vote for Trump.

“As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label I hold above all else – American. So I want to take a moment today to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your party – it is your duty.”

Sarah Silverman

Comedian Sarah Silverman – who was initially a Bernie Sanders supporter but has also backed Clinton –mocked Trump on “Conan” by dressing as Adolf Hitler.

“Don’t get me wrong Conan, I agree with a lot he says,” Silverman as Hitler joked. “Like 90 percent of what he says, I’m like, ‘This guy gets it.’”

John Legend

The singer-songwriter called out Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr. after tweeting about the clashes between Trump supporters and protesters in Chicago.

“Ha five students when asked why they were protesting couldn’t even answer. The participation medal/micro aggression generation is pretty sad!” Trump Jr. tweeted.

“@DonaldJTrumpJr I think they were protesting your racist father. This isn’t complicated.” Legend later tweeted: “This is not controversial. This is not news. The sky is blue.”

George Clooney

In an interview with The Guardian, George Clooney called Trump a “xenophobic fascist”, stating that Trump’s pledge to ban Muslims from entering the United States is “a massively stupid idea.”

The actor and Clinton supporter continued: “In election season, things go crazy, and the loudest voices are the furthest and most extreme. He’s just an opportunist. Now he’s a fascist; a xenophobic fascist.”

Celebs for Donald Trump

Kirstie Alley

The US actress tweeted her support for Trump earlier this year saying “HELLO BOYS! This is my formal endorsement of @realDonaldTrump and I’m a woman!”

However, it was short-lived. Alley dropped her support following the leaked video tape controversy last month saying she was “no longer endorsing either candidate.”

Jon Voight

Angelina Jolie’s estranged father told Breitbart News that “Donald is funny, playful, and colorful, but most of all he is honest.

“When he decided to run for president, I know he did it with a true conviction to bring this country back to prosperity. He is the only one who can do it. No frills, no fuss, only candid truths.”

Aaron Carter

One of the more bizarre celeb endorsements, Aaron Carter took to Twitter to endorse Trump. Yep, that’s Aaron Carter, the one-hit wonder and little brother of Nick from the Backstreet Boys.

“Does America want to have a president who FOLLOWS or someone who leads? I vote for @realdonaldtrump.”

But it didn’t stop there – in an interview with People, Carter claimed: “I’m too intelligent for you guys – like people, who don’t understand politics. I have a lot more information than I’ve given out.”

He still didn’t stop at that. Two months later, Carter posted: “I have decided I will not be voting for Donald Trump. I’ve seen a lot and to ME it’s just something I can’t take part in. Too many reasons.”

Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson, who’s Muslim, apparently thinks that Trump’s US election bid has involved “no colors.”

He told the Huffington Post: “He should be president of the United States. Let’s try something new. Let’s run America like a business, where no colors matter. Whoever can do the job, gets the job.”

Stephen Baldwin

Despite being fired by Trump on two different seasons of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” Stephen Baldwin is still backing the Republican.

“I think he’s fantastic. I love him. I think he’d make a great president. He’s not a politician and he doesn’t care what anybody thinks. And that’s why he’s surging in the polls. He says what he thinks.”

Stacey Dash

Another bizarre endorsement, “Clueless” actress Stacey Dash has been criticized by the African-American community for her support for Trump.

She has called him a “great businessman” who “has the Rolodex to get to the people around the world who make the decisions.”

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