This is an adapted excerpt from the Oct. 24 episode of “The Beat with Ari Melber.”
Presidential campaigns try to reach voters any way they can: rallies and news interviews for the faithful or ads, direct mail, and other methods to break through to people who don’t follow politics and news.
Donald Trump has long used PR tactics and celebrity to burnish his brand and it’s clearly bothered him when those same celebrities and artists embrace his opponents over him. It’s something he has referenced in years of campaigning.
Musicians and stars have long been part of presidential campaigns, but they matter even more now because they can directly reach their fans online.
“We don’t need Jay-Z or Beyoncé,” Trump told a crowd in Michigan in 2016. “We don’t need Jon Bon Jovi. We don’t need Lady Gaga.”
However, this year, Trump was clearly rattled by losing the Taylor Swift endorsement to Kamala Harris, declaring afterward that he “hates” her — a kind of visceral response to rejection familiar to anyone with high school experience. Meanwhile, his eldest daughter appears to be a Swiftie, drawing new headlines and hitting a show during the campaign homestretch.
Since entering the presidential race, Harris has snagged far more high-profile endorsements from entertainers than Trump. On Thursday, the vice president hosted a star-studded rally in Atlanta featuring Bruce Springsteen, Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee and Tyler Perry.
Musicians and stars have long been part of presidential campaigns but they matter even more now because they can directly reach their fans online. The Swift endorsement came with a call for voter registration that directly led to over 400,000 visits to Vote.gov in less than 24 hours.
Earlier this week, Eminem rallied for Harris in Detroit, where he is far more popular than any politician. The vice president’s campaign hopes the endorsement will help boost turnout in the rapper’s hometown.








