Big stars come out for Biden – but much of Hollywood wrestles with 2024 endorsements in a polarized world

CNN —

The Biden campaign is trotting out big names to deliver their message to voters, but leading up to the 2024 election, many in Hollywood are wary of jumping into the fray amid a hyper-divisive political landscape, multiple sources told CNN.

CNN spoke with a dozen publicists, agents and political strategists who are advising celebrities this upcoming election cycle. All of these individuals described the high risk involved for public figures to make an endorsement in today’s polarized world, explaining that many celebrities might instead align themselves with specific issues rather than a candidate this year.

More endorsements are expected in the months to come and will kick into high gear between the Democratic National Convention in August and Election Day, multiple sources told CNN. In the meantime, Biden campaign officials are in discussions behind the scenes to prepare for those rollouts, stressing that they carry more influence closer to Election Day.

In quick succession, this past month, the Biden campaign has announced a June fundraiser with Julia Roberts and George Clooney, as well as an ad narrated by longtime Trump critic Robert De Niro, who participated in a news conference outside the former president’s criminal trial on Tuesday – showcasing the star power they’ve already acquired.

Robert De Niro speaks in support of President Joe Biden outside of Manhattan Criminal Court as former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends his criminal trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments in New York City, on May 28.

But political strategists working across the entertainment business express particular concern over Young Hollywood speaking up, which they believe can