Harris’ Hollywood friends remain silent after Trump win – they can’t ‘afford’ to lose fans: expert

It’s been a week since Donald Trump declared victory over Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election. While many celebrities have shared their thoughts on the president-electsome have apparently remained remarkably silent.

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 more expressed their support for Harris and encouraged fans to vote.

Since Trump’s victory, however, the radio silence from these particular stars speaks volumes, says PR expert Doug Eldridge.

“There are several reasons why that could be the case,” Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital. “Strategically speaking, if it had been closer, you might have heard more fervent rebukes and calls for ‘resistance’ from the celebrity class. However, Trump dominated the Electoral College and won the popular vote. The voters, which in this case is synonymous with ‘fans’, spoke loud and clear. Partisan celebs may have lost the election, but they can’t afford to isolate and lose their fans too.”

“Not everything in life requires a prepared statement or a fully articulated position,” he added. “Simply allowing the results to settle, the fans to calm down and the daily routine to progress is itself a reasonable, de-escalatory response.”

Winfrey, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in August appeared at Harris’s last meeting in Philadelphia remained silent about the election results on the eve of election day.

Meanwhile, Lopez, who spoke at Harris’ rally in Las Vegashas been busy promoting her film “Unstoppable,” and Swift, who publicly supported Harris in September, recently appeared at boyfriend Travis Kelce’s NFL game on Sunday. Neither has commented publicly on the results.

In July, Clooney told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a statement: “President Biden has shown what true leadership is. He saves democracy again. We are all so excited to do what we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest.”

Although Clooney had expressed support in the weeks leading up to the election — including encouraging men to hide their votes from friends in an election ad — the Oscar-winning actor has yet to share his thoughts on Trump’s victory.

Beyoncé, born in Houston, spoke at a Harris rally in Houston on October 25.

‘I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I am here as a mother. A mother who cares deeply about the world my children and all our children live in,” said Beyoncé, who was joined by former Destiny’s Child singing buddy Kelly Rowland. “A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we are not divided – our past, our present and our future have joined together to meet us here.

“Imagine our daughters growing up and seeing what is possible without ceilings,” she continued. “No restrictions. Imagine our grandmothers, imagine how they feel now, those who lived through this historic day. Even those who are no longer physically with us can imagine all their sacrifices. The sacrifices made so that we can witness the power of an empowered woman to reimagine what leadership is. To all the men and women in this room and watching across the country, we need you.”

Beyoncé has not yet responded publicly after the elections.

Early October, Bruce Springsteen took to social media to share his support for Harris and Walz.

“Friends, fans and the press have asked me who I support in this most important election,” he said from the bar stool of an unnamed restaurant. “And with the full knowledge that my opinion is no more or less important than those of my fellow citizens, here is my response: I support Kamala Harris for President and Tim Walz for Vice President and oppose Donald Trump and JD Vance,” Springsteen wrote on Instagram.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Republican governor of California, announced his support for Harris also.

“It’s probably no surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which you probably understand if you’re a normal person who isn’t addicted to this nonsense. I want to tune in. But I can’t. Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. For someone like me, who talks to people all over the world and still knows that America is the shining city upon a hill, calling America a dumpster fire for the world is so unpatriotic that it infuriates me. And I will always be an American before I become a Republican. That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz this week.”

Although he has since posted on Instagram, he has yet to comment on the election results.

Robert Downey Jr., along with his Avengers co-starsurged 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 the 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,” said DiCaprio. “That’s why I’m voting for Kamala Harris.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for Winfrey, Lopez, Swift, Clooney, Beyoncé, Springsteen, Downey Jr., DiCaprio and Schwarzenegger.

On the contrary, pro-Trump supporters have flocked to social media to share their views on the election results.

Roseanne Barr, a long-time known supporter of Trump, has had several conversations on X (formerly Twitter) and even responded to a post suggesting she would be the next US press secretary.

“Okay, I’ll do it @realDonaldTrump,” she said.

Rob Schneider posted a video of himself on Instagram singing Michael Jackson’s “Smile” during a recent stand-up performance and dedicating it to the Democratic Party.

“Smile even though your heart hurts, smile even though it breaks,” he sang. “When there are clouds, Oprah and Beyoncé, you’ll come around,” he continued, notably changing the lyrics to appeal to high-profile Harris supporters.

Zachary Levi, who has been vocal about his support for Trump, responded to a fan’s tweet saying he felt vindicated after the election results.

“Honestly, I don’t really feel revenge because I didn’t need a win to know I was fighting for what is right,” he wrote on moment I was born in and placed on me. That said, I am so incredibly grateful and proud of each and every one of you who saw through all the noise and chose to vote for @realDonaldTrump. However, there is still a lot of work to be done. And I won’t stop fighting. Ever.”

Regardless of the results, celebrities and public figures should tread carefully and walk a fine line when it comes to sharing their thoughts, Eldridge says.

“Today athletes and celebrities are much more politically outspoken, but at some point that comes at a price,” Eldridge said. “This applies regardless of party. Tom Brady was criticized four years ago for suspected support of Trump, and San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was vilified and faces possible fines for wearing a MAGA hat after a recent game.

“As a celebrity, there is a delicate balance between expressing your opinions and sharing your values ​​versus isolating and polarizing your fan base,” he added. “The latter entails calculable costs. 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 report.