How Republicans Are Trying to Use Democrats’ Hollywood Connections Against Them

Republicans are using Democratic candidates’ Hollywood donors, celebrity fundraisers and entertainment industry links as campaign attack lines ahead of the US midterm elections. They hope these associations will undermine candidates’ efforts to present themselves as champions of working people, though it is uncertain whether voters will be swayed by them.

In Texas, Ken Paxton has misleadingly suggested Senate candidate James Talarico is running in California, where entertainers including Robert De Niro and Noah Wyle have supported him. Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff has also faced criticism over celebrity backing and a $900 make-up session, while Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has kept his distance from entertainment circles. The article notes that celebrity endorsements did not help Kamala Harris in 2024, and that Republicans also have ties to television and entertainment.