Whoever said it can be lonely at the top never had U.S. President Joe Biden in mind. The White House is attracting a slew of Hollywood elites eager to flaunt their Democratic credentials during his tenure, a report by the Associated Press (AP) claims.
The reason? A pop culture deficit was allegedly evident during the Donald Trump era because “just about anyone considered high-wattage refused to show up.”
The report points to veteran UK singer Sir Elton John who is bringing his farewell tour to the South Lawn on Friday as evidence of one high-profile backer determined to bring “unity and healing” to the highest office in the land.
The appearance marks a return for John and reinforces his previous connections to the White House under a Democratic president.
File/U.S. President Bill Clinton (R) thanks singers Elton John (2nd-L) and Stevie Wonder (2nd-R ) after their performances at an official dinner in honor of Great Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair (L) at the White House in Washington, DC. (JOYCE NALTCHAYAN/AFP via Getty Images)
He will entertain the president and first lady one week after singer James Taylor and hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott, of HGTV’s “Property Brothers,” helped usher in a new health care and climate change law. The AP report continues:
Taylor sang and strummed his guitar to open last week’s event while the Scotts were among hundreds of people in the audience. They also joined second gentleman Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, to film a snazzy video promoting the law’s climate change provisions.
Since taking office during a pandemic, which put a pause on too much togetherness, the 79-year-old Biden has also opened the White House to teen singer Olivia Rodrigo, to talk about young people and COVID-19 vaccinations, and the South Korean boy band BTS, to discuss Asian inclusion and representation.
The Democratic president also last year resumed the tradition of hosting an in-person White House reception for the artists receiving honors from the Kennedy Center.
AP further claimed the 75-year-old Sir Elton is “among celebrities who avoided the Trump White House, starting with the Republican’s 2017 inauguration. John had declined an invitation to play at Trump’s inaugural festivities, saying he didn’t think it was appropriate for someone with British heritage to play at the swearing-in of an American president.”
Meanwhile other members of the entertainment elite have always been quick to flash their Democratic credentials.
Aretha Franklin and Beyonce were among celebrities who turned out in a huge show of force for Barack Obama, from fundraising to his two inaugurations to performances inside the White House or on the grounds.
They disappeared under Trump, but are returning for Biden, AP said.
Biden relied on celebrities during his 2020 presidential campaign at a time the coronavirus pandemic made face-to-face meeting a more delicate affair.
A parade of movie and TV stars, pop icons and sports standouts raised money for the presidential aspirant and pushed Biden to new supporters, even as he spent days on end sitting in his basement doing television interviews rather than being physically out on the campaign trail, Breitbart News reported.
As the report observes, “Hollywood has always leaned heavily Democratic.”