From left: US musician Bruce Springsteen, US singer Lizzo, US singer Taylor Swift, Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, world's richest person Elon Musk, and Jon Voight. – AFP

Kamala Harris has Bruce Springsteen and Eminem on her side. Donald Trump has the world's richest man in his corner. But will these celebrity endorsements make a difference on Election Day? Experts say celebrity endorsements rarely sway voter opinion, and polls indicate only a small fraction of the electorate remains undecided before the November 5 vote.

However, high-profile appearances at campaign events can attract media attention and boost enthusiasm among key groups, potentially increasing turnout or encouraging more early voting—millions have already cast their ballots. With just two weeks left, "your primary goal now must be to get your voters to show up," says Megan Duncan, a communications professor at Virginia Tech, in an interview with AFP.

In an election expected to be decided by narrow margins in a few key states, even a slight boost could be crucial. On Tuesday, Harris received the endorsement of rapper and Detroit icon Eminem at a rally in the city. Former president Barack Obama, a Democratic Party superstar, also attended, rapping the opening lines of Eminem's hit "Lose Yourself" to the crowd's delight.

Duncan notes that celebrities will be increasingly utilized by campaigns in the final weeks to tap into local "sense of identity," with appearances becoming more targeted to specific cities. Popstar Lizzo joined Harris last weekend for an event marking the first day of early voting in Detroit, while R&B star Usher appeared with the vice president in Atlanta, where he launched his career.

Democrats hope that the presence of Obama, America's first Black US president, and his popular wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, will strengthen support among African American voters, especially men, in critical cities. The former president is also scheduled to hold multiple events with rocker Bruce Springsteen in the coming days, with Harris joining them in Atlanta on Thursday, according to her campaign.

Superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Harris shortly after her first and only debate against Trump in early September, a timing Duncan calls "very strategic... to have the most impact." Trump has fewer celebrity supporters, but some influential figures are working to push him over the finish line.

Most notably, the world's richest person, Elon Musk, has donated at least $75 million to efforts supporting Trump and other Republicans. Musk has also used his influential platform on X, formerly Twitter, to promote Trump-aligned narratives, often misleading, about immigration and other contentious issues. Recently, he campaigned for Trump in Pennsylvania, telling voters that the swing state could determine the "fate of Western civilization."

However, Musk's support has not been without controversy, including a legally questionable $1 million daily sweepstakes for registered voters in swing states. While Musk's backing could boost enthusiasm among his fans, particularly young men, it also risks alienating moderate voters tired of Trump's norm-breaking behavior.

The Trump campaign's efforts to expand support among young men have been aided by Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July and recently on ex-NFL star Robert Griffin III's podcast. Trump's supporters also include several financial figures with large social media followings, such as David Sacks and Bill Ackman, and a few prominent Hollywood actors like Jon Voight and Dennis Quaid.

Aside from Kid Rock and country singer Lee Greenwood, who frequently performs his patriotic anthem "God Bless the USA" at rallies, Trump has few star musicians to rely on in the final weeks. Instead, he often uses a playlist that includes the Village People's 1978 hits "Y.M.C.A." and "Macho Man." Trump's campaign has faced legal threats from several musicians or their estates over unauthorized use of their songs, with the most recent action coming last week after he played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," as performed by Rufus Wainwright, at an event in Pennsylvania.

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