While I never really put too much stock into celebrities' political views, there is no doubt that the power of fame can be influential in helping the popularity of a presidential candidate. In the wake of Super Tuesday, the stakes are high for the 2016 presidential election, making celebrity endorsements for presidential candidates even more important. Although any celebrity endorsement for a Democratic nominee is never really surprising (particularly for Hillary Clinton, who even has part of the Kardashian fam on lockdown), some politically active celebs still have the ability to shock with their choice of president.
The Democratic race is down to just Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and while Donald Trump pretty much dominated the rest of the Republican candidates during Super Tuesday, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich are also still vying for their party's nomination. As with Clinton, most of the list of celeb Trump supporters does not surprise me at all, but I still managed to find some interesting proponents of the Republican frontrunner. Sanders has his own list of famous progressive supporters, while Cruz, Rubio, and Kasich don't poll quite as well with celebrities. (Ben Carson, who dropped out of the race, had one notable musician in his court, but he switched sides, as you'll read below.)
Whether you've voted in your state's primary, or your state has yet to hit up the voting machines, here are 15 celebrities with startling presidential endorsements.
1. Azealia Banks — Donald Trump
In February, rapper Azealia Banks took to Twitter to show her support for Trump. She wrote with apparent sincerity, "I only trust this country to be what it is: full of sh*t. takes sh*t to know sh*t so we may as well, put a piece of sh*t in the White House."
2. Will Ferrell — Hillary Clinton
Ferrell being a Democrat isn't surprising, but his switch from initially supporting Sanders to now supporting Clinton definitely makes me wonder what changed his mind.
3. Donnie Wahlberg — Marco Rubio
As a New Kids on the Block member, the brother of Marky Mark, and the husband of Jenny McCarthy, Donnie Wahlberg has used his Twitter account to support Republican candidate Rubio.
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — Bernie Sanders
Although he hasn't officially come out to endorse Sanders, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote an op-ed piece for The Washington Post praising the tactics in his campaigning, as contrasted with Trump's bullying ways.
5. Jenna Jameson — Marco Rubio And Ted Cruz
Remember when Cruz removed a campaign commercial that starred an adult film star? Jameson wasn't that actress, but he's got her support too. Although Jameson appears to support Rubio more with her tweets, she is equally open to Cruz winning — as long as it's a Republican who takes the White House.
6. Robert De Niro — Hillary Clinton
Elite Hollywood actor Robert De Niro discussed his support of Clinton with Elle, saying, "She deserves to be president. She's prepared ... She's as qualified or more qualified than anybody else. And paid her dues. Period." While Hollywood is kind of in Clinton's wheelhouse, De Niro proves that a diverse group of people of all genders and ages are open to Clinton as the first woman president.
7. Kid Rock — Donald Trump
Though it's not shocking that Kid Rock is voting for a Republican, it is interesting that he has changed his endorsement from Carson to Trump. He told Rolling Stone about his new support for Trump: "My feeling: let the motherf*cking business guy run it like a f*cking business. And his campaign has been entertaining as sh*t."
8. Snoop Dogg — Hillary Clinton
The rapper Snoop Dogg warmed feminist hearts everywhere by telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that he's voting for Clinton because he thinks a woman's perspective in the White House is necessary. Yet I almost can't believe that he's not going for Sanders, since the Vermont senator is a supporter of legalizing marijuana and Snoop Dogg is an active lover of the substance.
9. James Woods — Ted Cruz
If you follow Woods on Twitter, then his support for Cruz will not be surprising at all, since he often mocks the Clintons (yes, both Bill and Hillary) and Sanders. He is a vocal conservative, and has made it clear that Cruz is his pick for the presidency.
10. Susan Sarandon — Bernie Sanders
Sarandon has always been vocal in her political activism, but I was pretty surprised when I learned she was voting for Sanders over Clinton. The activist actress has been a huge supporter of the Sanders campaign, even hitting the trail with him.
11. Tom Brady — Donald Trump
Although the hero of the New England Patriots hasn't officially endorsed Trump, he called him a "friend," and was spotted with a "Make America Great Again" hat in his locker during the 2015 football season, much to the chagrin of some fans.
12. Montel Williams — John Kasich
Although an endorsement from Montel Williams won't save Kasich's campaign, the former talk show host wrote a thoughtful piece for USA Today about why he supports the Ohio governor for president. Williams, who served 22 years in the military, said that he left the Republican party during the early '90s to become an independent, but that he'd happily vote for Kasich in 2016.
13. Zoë Kravitz — Bernie Sanders
Despite the Bernie Bro meme, another female (and minority) supporter of Sanders is actress Zoë Kravitz. The daughter of Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz made the silly video above announcing whom she's voting for.
14. Clint Howard — Ted Cruz
The lesser-known of the Howard brothers, Clint Howard, has been campaigning for Cruz. While his name might not be too familiar, you definitely would recognize the character actor's face from his brother Ron's films, like Apollo 13.
15. Terrell Owens — Donald Trump
Owens, who was on The Celebrity Apprentice with Trump, channeled the man himself by telling TMZ, "With that being said, Trump ... YOU'RE HIRED."
As more celebrities come out to share who they are voting for this presidential election, I will hope that Owens' statement — as clever as it may be — does not come true.
