A week has passed since Donald Trump proclaimed victory over Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election. While numerous celebrities have voiced their opinions on the president-elect, some have chosen to remain conspicuously quiet. In the weeks leading up to the election, stars like Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Leonardo DiCaprio, and others publicly endorsed Harris and urged fans to vote. However, since Trump's win, the silence from these particular celebrities speaks volumes, according to PR expert Doug Eldridge.
"There are various reasons why this might be the case," Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital. "Strategically, if the race had been closer, we might have heard more vehement rebukes and calls to 'resist' from the celebrity class. But Trump dominated the Electoral College and won the popular vote. The voters, synonymous with 'fans' in this context, made their voices clear. Partisan celebrities may have lost the election, but they cannot afford to alienate their fans as well."
"Not everything in life requires a prepared statement or a fully articulated position," he added. "Allowing the results to settle, the fans to calm, and daily routines to resume is itself a reasonable, de-escalating response."
Winfrey, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August and appeared at Harris' final rally in Philadelphia on the eve of Election Day, has remained silent on the election results. Meanwhile, Lopez, who spoke at Harris' rally in Las Vegas, has been promoting her film, "Unstoppable," and Swift, who publicly endorsed Harris in September, was recently seen at her boyfriend Travis Kelce's NFL game on Sunday. Neither has commented publicly on the results.
In July, Clooney told CNN's Jake Tapper, "President Biden has shown true leadership. He's saving democracy once again. We're all excited to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest." Despite showing support for Harris in the weeks leading up to the election, Clooney has not shared his thoughts on Trump's win.
Beyoncé, a native of Houston, spoke at a Harris rally in Houston on Oct. 25. "I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother. A mother who deeply cares about the world my children and all our children live in," she said, accompanied by former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland. "Imagine our daughters growing up seeing what's possible with no ceilings. No limitations. Imagine our grandmothers, imagine what they feel right now, those who have lived to see this historic day."
Beyoncé has not publicly commented on the election since. In early October, Bruce Springsteen shared his support for Harris and Walz on social media. "Friends, fans, and the press have asked me who I'm supporting in this election," he said from an undisclosed diner. "I'm supporting Kamala Harris for president and Tim Walz for vice president and opposing Donald Trump and JD Vance."
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former Republican governor of California, also endorsed Harris. "It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever," he said. "But I can't tune out. Rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. To someone like me who talks to people all over the world, calling America a trash can is so unpatriotic. I will always be an American before I am a Republican. That's why I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz."
While he has posted on Instagram since, Schwarzenegger has not commented on the election results. Robert Downey Jr., along with his Avengers co-stars, urged people to vote Democrat ahead of the election. "We're back. Let's #AssembleForDemocracy. In the #ElectionEndgame, every vote counts," Ruffalo wrote, encouraging people to vote for Harris and Democrats.
Leonardo DiCaprio shared a video on Instagram endorsing Harris for president, citing climate change as one of his deciding factors. "Climate change is killing the Earth and ruining our economy. We need a bold step forward to save our economy, our planet, and ourselves," DiCaprio said. "That's why I'm voting for Kamala Harris."
Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Winfrey, Lopez, Swift, Clooney, Beyoncé, Springsteen, Downey Jr., DiCaprio, and Schwarzenegger. On the contrary, pro-Trump supporters have flooded social media to share their thoughts on the election results. Roseanne Barr, a longtime Trump supporter, has engaged in various conversations on X (formerly Twitter) and even responded to a post suggesting she be the next U.S. press secretary. "Ok, I will do it @realDonaldTrump," she said.
Rob Schneider posted a video of himself singing Michael Jackson's "Smile" during a recent stand-up appearance and dedicated it to the Democratic Party. "Smile though your heart is aching, smile even though it's breaking," he sang. "When there are clouds, Oprah and Beyoncé, you'll get by," he continued, notably switching up the lyrics to address the well-known Harris supporters.
Zachary Levi, who has been vocal about his support for Trump, responded to a fan's tweet about feeling vindicated after the election results. "Honestly, I don't really feel vindication, because I didn't need a win to know that I was fighting for what's right," he wrote on X. "Win or lose, I was going to follow the conviction and calling that God put in and on me from the time I was born. That said, I am so incredibly grateful to, and proud of, every one of you who saw thru all the noise, and chose to vote for @realDonaldTrump. There's still much work to be done though. And I won't stop fighting. Ever."
Regardless of the results, celebrities and public figures must tread carefully when sharing their thoughts, says Eldridge. "Today, athletes and celebrities are far more politically outspoken, but at a certain point, it comes at a price," Eldridge said. "This is true irrespective of party. Tom Brady got backlash for suspected support of Trump four years ago, and Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers defensive end) was maligned and is facing possible fines for wearing a MAGA hat after a recent game."
"As a celebrity, there's a delicate balance between speaking your mind and sharing your values versus isolating and polarizing your fan base," he added. "The latter comes at a calculable expense. As I always tell clients, 'Measure twice, cut once' when it comes to sharing your political views with the general public."
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this post.
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