Hollywood celebrities are making a final push to help save California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) political career as Californians head to the polls Tuesday in the state’s hotly contested recall election.
Stars including John Legend, Katy Perry, Rob Reiner, Michael Moore, and New York resident Mark Ruffalo are urging Californians to vote “no” on the recall and in so doing, put aside concerns about the state’s many crises, which include rampant homelessness, surging crime, perennial wildfires, and the soaring cost of living that has caused numerous businesses and residents to flee.
Some polls show Newsom surviving the recall, but Republican challenger Larry Elder is betting on a surprise victory. As Breitbart News reported, a U.C. Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll revealed that 60.1 percent of likely voters said they oppose Newsom being recalled.
Hollywood isn’t leaving anything to chance. Studio executives, filmmakers, and stars have showered Newsom with cash, with Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings donating $3 million to the effort to save the governor’s job.
John Legend, who endorsed Joe Biden in last year’s presidential race, told voters to “reject this ridiculous recall.”
Rob Reiner, another Joe Biden supporter, tweeted, “Let’s kick Trumpism in the ass.”
Gavin Newsom has faced abundant criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including his failure to heed his own advice about masks and social distancing. Last year during the height of the pandemic, the governor was photographed at the French Laundry restaurant, socializing indoors in a large crowd of people without masks.
Celebrities pleading with Californians to vote “no” on the recall, are hoping residents will forget about the state’s out-of-control homelessness crisis — the homeless population exploded on Newsom’s watch and was among the top three issues for California voters, according to a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).
A homeless man sits beside his belongings on the streets in the Skid Row community of Los Angeles, California on April 26, 2021. – A federal judge overseeing a lawsuit that seeks to end the city’s Skid Row homelessness crisis isn’t backing down from his order requiring that all indigent persons in the area be offered shelter within six months. US District Judge David O. Carter is opening the door for more discussions by setting additional hearing dates and clarifying some portions of his ruling. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
But the corporate and mainstream media have mostly overlooked his numerous mistakes and instead focused on attacking Larry Elder. The Los Angeles Times has repeatedly smeared Elder as an agent for white supremacy, even though he is black and grew up in Compton.
Filmmaker Michael Moore has joined the pile-on, calling Elder “one effin’ bad dude” as he urged Californians to reject the recall.
Debra Messing helped spread disinformation on Elder by tweeting a meme that describes the candidate as “anti-vax.” Elder told Breitbart News that he is vaccinated against COVID-19, but said he is opposed to vaccine mandates.
Sophia Bush added to the attacks on Elder, claiming he believes former slave owners are owed reparations. Like most of the media, Bush has taken Elder’s comments out of context. The candidate was making a rhetorical argument about the infeasibility of reparations, noting that in the past, some countries compensated slave owners for their lost slaves.
Missing from so much of the push for Newsom from the Hollywood left is the violent crime wave is so many parts of the state (Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was assaulted and robbed in Oakland, California, in July), soaring cost of living, and the deadly fires.
A LAPD police officer stands at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and Sunset Boulevard where a body covered in a white sheet lies on the pavement in Los Angeles on April 24, 2021 in what appears to be an officer-involved shooting. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
California Governor Gavin Newsom surveys a burned United States Post Office in downtown Greenville, California on August 7, 2021. – The Dixie fire has now burned more than 430,000 acres and is the largest single fire in California state history. (JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Other celebrities are trying to motivate Californians to get to the polls and to encourage friends to do the same.
Katy Perry reminded her fans that polls close at 8 p.m. in California.
Mark Ruffalo, who resides in New York, encouraged non-Californians to text their friends in Californians reminding them to vote “no.”
Beauty and the Beast stat Josh Gad made his pitch, reminding his followers to “vote no on the recall.”
Star Wars star Mark Hamill his “leadership” and attacked Elder as a “spectacularly unqualified radio talk-show host & tRump-wannabe.”
The Good Place star Jameela Jamil said “Vote NO to the California recall today or millions of people are in unimaginable and irreversible shit.”
Suicide Squad and The Hunt actor Ike Barinholtz said “Please vote NO on this insanely stupid recall or California will turn into Florida by the end of the week.”
Bette Midler throw out a barb, twisting elder’s words about the integrity of the vote.
Actress Rose McGowan has broken with Hollywood convention to endorse Larry Elder, calling out Newsom as a liar and a fraud and accusing his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, of pressuring her to remain silent on Harvey Weinstein.
As Breitbart News reported, McGowan detailed at a press conference on Sunday how the governor’s wife called her up in 2017 on behalf of former Weinstein attorney David Boies to ask, “what it would take to make” her happy enough to keep quiet about Weinstein. The phone call allegedly took place six months prior to the New York Times launching its bombshell report against the disgraced movie producer and Democratic Party donor.
“My money’s on Elder,” she concluded, “I really appreciate anybody watching or reading this to think differently. To be brave. Do something that’s weird. Like maybe voting Republican, even though it will feel strange.”
Meanwhile, her former Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano urged the exact opposite, encouraging her fans to save Newsom’s career.
Follow David Ng on Twitter @HeyItsDavidNg. Have a tip? Contact me at dng@breitbart.com
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