Harris campaign limiting celeb involvement at DNC as A-listers clamor for invites
The Kamala Harris campaign is taking steps to ensure the Democratic National Convention doesn’t turn into a convention for celebrities, according to reports.
While a multitude of Hollywood heavy-hitters have recently voiced their enthusiastic support for Harris’ presidential bid, those working on her campaign are trying to be tactful about who gets an invite to the upcoming DNC, sources told TMZ.
They said her team is doing its best to avoid turning the upcoming political gathering into an event for the “Hollywood liberal elite.”
Harris’ campaign is seemingly trying to learn lessons from the 2016 presidential election, which saw Hillary Clinton lose to Donald Trump. They believe the overwhelming celebrity presence at the DNC eight years ago ultimately backfired, and proved to be a turn-off to everyday voters.
The celebrities in attendance in 2016 included the likes of America Ferrara, Meryl Streep and Lena Dunham, with Elizabeth Banks as the host.
The Harris campaign is trying to be more strategic when it comes to who will speak and perform at the DNC, which is scheduled to run Monday, Aug. 19, through Thursday, Aug. 23, in Chicago. Who exactly has made the list is still unclear, and sources told TMZ the campaign is currently working to finalize their roundup of attendees.
Beyoncé is at the top of their invite list, sources told The Daily Beast. The Grammy winner has already given the Harris campaign permission to use her song “Freedom,” and there are rumors floating around that she’ll take the stage to perform on the final night of the convention.
Former “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus also recently told The Times in London that she would be “extra-involved” in the Harris campaign through to Election Day.
Other celebs who are reportedly trying to snag an invite include Kerry Washington, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen.
Oscar nominees Jeffrey Wright and Octavia Spencer, R&B group Boyz II Men and actors who are part of the Creative Coalition, a nonpartisan arts advocacy organization, may also attend the event.
This year, the Creative Coalition’s delegation is led by Uzo Aduba, Anthony Anderson, Yvette Nicole Brown, David Cross, Jon Cryer, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Busy Philipps, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Uma Thurman, among others.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, who many think subtly endorsed Kamala Harris during her Eras Tour shows in Poland, will be overseas during DNC week for performances in London.
