Harris leans on A-list, Trump on world’s richest man in US election homestretch
Celebrity endorsements can amplify messages but may have mixed effects on voter turnout
Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen and Eminem. Donald Trump has the world’s richest man. But will it make any difference on Election Day?
Celebrity endorsements do little to sway voter opinion, experts say, and polls show only a sliver of the electorate have yet to make up their mind before the November 5 vote.
But big names appearing at campaign events help to grab headlines and boost enthusiasm among key groups, which could spur higher turnout or motivate more early voting – as millions have already done.
With two weeks to go, “your real goal right now has to be to get your audience, your voters to show up,” Megan Duncan, a communications professor at Virginia Tech, said.
In an election expected to be decided by razor thin margins in a handful of states, any marginal lift could prove decisive.