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British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people's group text chats and social media feeds went wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and , that "."

While this endorsement, , likely means very little to most adults who don't follow the singer's music, it is considered high praise among young people. Harris' campaign astutely embraced Charli XCX's support— to the same .

Celebrities, including singer John Legend and actors Octavia Spencer, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, are all making appearances at the , which runs Aug. 19–24.

Several celebrities, including wrestler Hulk Hogan and singer Jason Aldean, appeared at the in July.

So far, a , including actor , the singer , movie director and comedian , among others, have endorsed Harris.

Meanwhile, comedian , as well as singer , model and actor have endorsed Trump.

Some researchers have estimated that Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Barack Obama in 2008 gave him an additional .

But overall, research shows that to determine an election's results.

If celebrity endorsements don't shift an election, then why do political campaigns seek them out?

The answer is that they still do matter and for many different reasons. Celebrities can easily get media attention, act as campaign surrogates, expand the voter base and . All these things can help a candidate win.

What guides voters and celeb endorsements

Not many people will admit that they voted for a candidate because Oprah Winfrey or another celebrity told them to—so survey research will rarely find that celebrity endorsements are meaningful.

About 89% of adults also said in February 2020 that they .

However, this leaves 11% of American adults who said that they might change their preferred candidate based on what a celebrity said. Another 19% of younger voters also said in this same poll that a celebrity could help change their vote.

In a close election, these voters at the margins could change a candidate's fortunes.

Celebrities can help —and a celebrity endorsement gives candidates an extra opportunity to distribute their message to a public audience.

Whether it is Jeff Bridges—who played "The Dude" in the 1998 movie "The Big Lebowski"—speaking at a Zoom meeting, or the pro-Trump singer Kid Rock hosting a series of concerts, celebrity endorsements can also help candidates target specific demographic groups.

Celebrities also benefit when they get involved in politics because they, too, depend on staying relevant.

By weighing in on political issues, celebrities can keep themselves in the limelight and promote their personal brand. There is a risk, however, that a celebrity might and business partners who don't share their political views.

A strong online presence

Celebrities can also get a lot of media attention when they disagree with a politician or are offended by what they say.

For example, Trump's running mate, JD Vance, has said that " is controlled by people without children."

His 2021 comments about the country being run by in July 2024.

Actress and talk-show host went on the counteroffensive, stating that there are many reasons some women don't have children, including fertility challenges.

"I truly can't believe that this is coming from a potential VP of the United States," .

"All I can say is … Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day."

Expanding the electorate base

Celebrities can also effectively encourage people to register to vote or to actually vote. In September 2023, singer Taylor Swift encouraged her fans to register to vote with a link to .

The site saw a 1,226% increase in traffic, and over within an hour of her post.

There is that Harris, as she did President Joe Biden during . Some Swift fans have looked for clues of a possible endorsement, including that a during a recent concert—.

Trump falsely claimed on Aug. 18 that Swift endorsed him, posting an that showed an image of Swift and said, "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump."

While Swift has not issued any endorsement one way or another, Swift's fans have organized a movement that has more than 180,000 followers across social media.

Celebrities still have political influence

Celebrity political endorsements are unlikely to change a voter's core values or sway voters who are already closely following politics and are familiar with the different candidates and what they stand for.

But celebrities still have cultural influence and could encourage people to vote for or support a candidate in other ways, such as with donations.

And research also shows that celebrities are especially likely to shape the .

Even if a celebrity endorsement is not the primary reason any voter would select a particular candidate, the celebrity endorsement might have value for some people. And in a close election, it can be just a few thousand votes that matter.

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