Donald Trump declared victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election on Tuesday night, after major outlets, including the Associated Press, projected him as the winner. Speaking to a lively crowd at his campaign’s watch party in Florida, Trump promised to fight for the American people, saying, “Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future.” He went on to add, “We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country.”
Trump’s announcement came as he held 267 of the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency, leading in key states like Michigan and Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Harris campaign announced that the Vice President would not be delivering an immediate speech, and supporters were seen exiting her election night event as the numbers solidified Trump’s path to victory.
As the news broke, reactions from Hollywood and the music industry quickly flooded social media. Some expressed anger, others shock or disappointment. Here’s how prominent voices responded:
Bette Midler: The actress and singer shared a pointed quote from journalist H.L. Mencken, tweeting, “When a candidate for public office faces the voters he does not face men of sense; he faces a mob of men…incapable of weighing ideas or even comprehending any save the most elemental…As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.” She ended with Mencken’s famous line, “On some great and glorious day…the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”
Cardi B: The rapper, known for her outspokenness, tweeted, “We need a Hail Mary” as the results came in, revealing her concern over the turn of events after publicly endorsing Kamala Harris. Later, Cardi B took to Instagram, posting, “I hate y’all bad” to express her frustration with the outcome.
Marc Rebillet: The electronic musician kept his response simple and explicit, tweeting, “F— DONALD TRUMP,” leaving little ambiguity about his feelings.