From Kanye to Cardi B: Which Musicians Back Each 2020 Presidential Election Candidate

Charlie NashOct 28th, 2019, 2:58 pm
 

Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images

The 2020 presidential election is more than a year away, but a horde of musicians has already thrown their support behind a number of candidates — the latest being John Legend, who hailed Elizabeth Warren in a cover story interview with Vanity Fair. From Kanye West and Jack White to Lil Yachty, Deerhoof, and everything in between, the following is a handy guide to some of the more major musicians who have endorsed 2020 candidates in one way or another.

Donald Trump

Kanye West

Kanye West made big headlines after meeting with Donald Trump at his eponymous skyscraper in December 2016. The controversial rapper posed with the president-elect for a series of press photographs, and received praise from Trump himself.

In October 2018, West met again with President Trump, this time for a get-together in the White House Oval Office, wearing his red “Make America Great Again” hat. The wild summit between West and Trump went viral, drawing scorn from the president’s critics and a new fan base for the rapper amongst his supporters.

After briefly withdrawing from politics, West defended his support for President Trump in October 2019.

Ted Nugent

Guitarist Ted Nugent hasn’t shied away from his support for President Trump before, having met with the president in the White House Oval Office in 2017.

In July 2019, Nugent further claimed that Trump is “the best president I have ever seen.”

“I think Donald Trump’s doing a great job… He represents the heart and soul of the heart and soul of this country — the heartland of this country,” Nugent proclaimed. “The farmers, the ranchers, the private property owners, the entrepreneurs, working-hard, playing-hard Americans who earn their own way, live within their means, save for a rainy day, take risks and make sacrifices to be in the asset column.”

Bernie Sanders

Jack White

The White Stripes lead singer Jack White endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) for president in October 2019 by performing a set at a Sanders rally in Detroit.

During his performance, White declared “Bernie Sanders is telling the truth, and I really do trust him,” and played iconic songs like Seven Nation Army and We’re Gonna Be Friends, while Sanders supporters waved signs to the music from behind.

Cardi B

In August 2019, the Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign released an interview between Sanders and rapper Cardi B.

The rapper questioned Sanders about Big Pharma, income inequality, healthcare, education, and immigration, and Politico described Cardi B as “one of Bernie’s most powerful 2020 allies.”

Killer Mike

Like Cardi B, Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike also sat down for an interview with Bernie Sanders in August.

“I can honestly say that your integrity propels and compels me to keep supporting you,” Mike, who endorsed Sanders in 2016, said. “Your policy is the only policy that I have seen in my lifetime that matches up with the policy of what was the Poor People’s Campaign. It is the only policy that matches up with what is fair and just.”

T.I.

Rapper T.I. also endorsed Sanders in both 2016 and 2020.

After being asked which candidate has the best chance of beating President Trump, T.I. replied, “Right now, I think that the only person that I see who has a base that’s strong enough to oppose him is Bernie. Biden’s got bigger numbers but Bernie’s base is more passionate. He’s the complete antithesis of what Trump represents.”

Deerhoof

Experimental pop group Deerhoof endorsed Sanders in a September 2019 Twitter post.

“A great preponderance of factors shows Bernie Sanders to be far and away the most ‘electable’ candidate,” the band wrote.

Lil Yachty

Lil Yachty’s endorsement may not have been as substantial as the others on this list, but the rapper still expressed clear enthusiasm for Sanders’ campaign by commenting, “Let’s gooooooo” in response to a Sanders 2020 campaign video.

Others

Too many musicians have endorsed Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign to list them all, but others who have donated to Sanders this election cycle include: Norah Jones, the Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett, Jackson Brown, Noelle Scaggs, and Brandi Carlile.

Elizabeth Warren

John Legend

Singer and actor John Legend backed Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in an interview for Vanity Fair’s December 2019 issue.

“My favorite — I’m going to say it, we’ll break news today — is Elizabeth Warren,” Legend revealed. “She’s the best candidate running today and she comes at it with joy and with sincerity and with a wealth of knowledge and experience.”

“Honestly, I don’t comprehend why guys hate women so much sometimes,” he continued, adding, “You see someone as transparently competent and eloquent and on fire as Elizabeth Warren and then you hear some guys just are not into voting for a woman. Why do guys feel so threatened by the idea of a woman president?”

Chely Wright

Country musician Chely Wright has repeatedly praised Warren and expressed her hopes that the senator wins the 2020 Democratic Party nomination.

“Hey @ewarren, I’m in. 100% ready for you to be our next president,” posted the Single White Female singer on Twitter in August 2019, to which Warren replied, “Let’s win!”

“Elizabeth Warren has more energy, stamina and resolve (at age 70) than Donald Trump has had in his entire life, we all know that,” Wright added in September.

Cory Booker

Jon Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi is a big fan of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

On top of donating to Booker and hosting a Booker 2020 campaign fundraiser at his house, Bon Jovi expressed in an interview, “Cory Booker is a great man, he’s a dear friend of mine… We believe that if he were in the office of the president that he’d do an amazing job and we’re happy to support him.”

Pete Buttigieg

David Crosby

David Crosby, of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, revealed Pete Buttigieg to be his favorite 2020 candidate in a July 2019 interview.

“My favorite is Mayor Pete. I love the guy. He’s the smartest man I’ve ever seen in politics ever, of all. He’s smarter than all the rest of them put together,” Crosby claimed. “He’s brilliant, and he’s honest, and he’s dedicated, and he’s brave. Do you know how much guts it takes to go in the military when you’re gay? Volunteer and go because you think you ought to, you don’t want to be a privileged guy and get excused? Do you know what kind of morals it takes to do that? Yeah, I want him to be president. I really want him to be president.”

“Most politicians will turn around and tell you anything that you want to hear, to get you on their side, and then do completely other stuff when they get in there,” he continued. “Mayor Pete, I think, would not do that.”

Tulsi Gabbard

Sean Ono Lennon

Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, has previously encouraged donations to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-HI) 2020 presidential campaign.

“Please consider donating even just $1 to @tulsigabbard. As THE anti-war candidate she deserves to participate in the next debates whether you wish to elect her or not,” he posted in July 2019. “The topic of American interventionism needs to be discussed front and center. Please spread the word.”

Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding has also supported Gabbard throughout the lead up to the 2020 presidential election.

In March 2019, Spalding even introduced Gabbard at a campaign rally.

Andrew Yang

Rivers Cuomo

Weezer lead singer Rivers Cuomo has consistently supported Andrew Yang’s 2020 run for the presidency.

On November 1st 2019, Cuomo’s band Weezer is also set to put on a performance at the “Yangapalooza” Yang 2020 rally in Des Moines, Iowa, in support of Yang’s campaign.

Kamala Harris

Lance Bass

NSYNC singer Lance Bass reportedly co-hosted a fundraiser for Harris’ campaign in January 2019, with tickets selling for up to $2,700.

Bass has also sang praises for Harris on Twitter, claiming she “would make an excellent President.”

Beto O’Rourke

Willie Nelson

86-year-old country musician Willie Nelson donated $2,800 to former Congressman Beto O’Rourke in March 2019, and previously supported O’Rourke’s attempt to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018 by performing at a rally decked in Beto merchandise.

O’Rourke seems to have returned the favor by attending one of Nelson’s performances in El Paso earlier this year.

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