American celebrities are publicly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election race partly because their job security is on the line, tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed on Joe Rogan’s podcast on Monday.
Multiple heavyweights in the US entertainment industry, including some who were previously apolitical, have backed the Democratic candidate for president.
Hosting Musk on his show, Rogan called the rallying behind Harris “strange,” suggesting that celebrities “think it’s going to get them more movies or something.”
Musk claimed that the opposite is true, and that “these celebrities, they get a call from someone powerful in Hollywood. That person says: ‘You know it would be really great if you endorsed Kamala.’”
There is an implicit threat that failure to do so would result in not receiving further opportunities in the industry, Musk said.
They don’t make the threat. They don’t need to. But everyone knows what would happen if you don’t [back Harris].
The entrepreneur is a key supporter of former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and intends to take a cabinet-level job in his potential administration. After his interview with Musk, Rogan publicly endorsed Trump, saying that the tech billionaire’s arguments had convinced him.
Hollywood, which has historically leaned left politically, has become highly intolerant to dissent, Rogan said. As recently as during President Barack Obama’s term in office, a star of the magnitude of Clint Eastwood could be openly Republican without apparent repercussions, Rogan noted. A few decades ago, Ronald Reagan went from being a Hollywood actor into politics, ultimately being elected to the White House with the Republicans.
“Once Trump got into office, he became this focal point, where all logic was thrown out the window,” Rogan suggested. “It's just ‘Trump is bad, you have to attack Trump.’”
Superstar singers Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Jennifer Lopez, as well as actor Harrison Ford, are some of the big names to have endorsed Harris.