Well, let me tell you something, brother. You know something. When I came here tonight, there was so much energy in this room, I felt maybe I was in Madison Square Garden getting ready to win another world title or maybe I thought the vibe was so intense, the energy was so crazy. It felt like maybe I was going to press that no good sticky giant over my head and slam him through the mat brother. But what I found out was I was in *** room full of real Americans brother and at the end of the day with our leader up there, my hero that gladiator, we’re gonna bring America back together one real American at *** time, brother. You know something, I’ve seen some great tag teams in my time, Hulk Hogan and oh yeah, the macho man, Randy Savage. But you know something, I see the greatest tag team of my life standing upon us getting ready to straighten this country out for all the real Americans. You know, even though you guys are real Americans, you better get ready because when Donald J Trump becomes the president of the United States, all the real Americans are going to be nicknamed Trumps because because all the Trumps are going to be running wild for four years. So with the power of Donald J Trump and all the Trumps running wild America is going to get back on track. And like Donald J Trump said America is going to be great again. You know, I when I look out and I see all the real Americans, I think about how Donald Trump, his family was compromised when I look out there and I see Donald Trump, I think about how his business was compromised. But what happened last week when they took *** shot at my hero and they tried to kill the next president of the United States. Enough was enough. And I said, let Trump *** mania run wild brother, let to *** mania rule again, let to *** mania, make America great again, you know something Trump hs I didn’t come here as Hulk Hogan, but I just had to give you *** little taste. You know, my name, my name is Terry Boa and as an entertainer, I love you too. And as an entertainer, I tried to stay out of politics. But after everything that’s happened to our country over the past four years and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent. I’m here tonight because I want the world to know that Donald Trump is *** real American hero and I’m proud to support my hero as the next president of this United States. You know, guys, I’ve known Donald Trump for over 35 years. You know, hold on *** second. Hold on. I just had *** flashback. I just had *** flashback, man. This is really tripping. You know, the last time I was up on stage, Donald Trump was sitting at ringside at the Trump plaza. I was bleeding like *** pig and I won the world title right in front of Donald J Trump. And you know, something, he’s going to win in November and we’re all going to be champions again when he wins. And like I said, I’ve known that man for over 35 years and he’s always been the biggest patriot and he still is. He’s always told you exactly what he thought and he still does, brother and no matter the odds, he always finds *** way to win. And when he’s back in our White House, America is going to start winning again. You know, guys over my career, I’ve been in the ring with some of the biggest, some of the baddest dudes on the planet and I’ve squared off against warriors. Oh, yes, savages. And I’ve even, like I said, body slammed giants in the middle of the ring. And I know tough guys. But let me tell you something, brother Donald Trump is the toughest of them all. They’ve thrown everything at Donald Trump, all the investigations, the impeachments, the court cases and he’s still standing and kicking their butts. You know, we never had it better than the Trump years back then. We had *** thriving economy. We had strong borders, we had safe streets, we had peace and respect around the world, but then we lost it all in *** blink of an eye. Crime is out of control. The border is out of control. The price of food and gas and housing is out of control. And the only person who can clean this up is Donald Trump. You know, guys, I really, really love this country and I’ve lived the American dream and I want my kids, your kids and all those little teeny hula maniacs out there to live the American dream too. This November guys, we can save the American dream for everyone. And Donald Trump is the president who will get the job done. So all you criminals, all you lowlifes, all you scumbags, all you drug dealers and all you crooked politicians need to answer one question, brother. What you’re gonna do when Donald Trump and all the Trump of maniacs run wild on new brother. God bless you. And thank you.
Do celebrities’ voices matter in elections? New Harvard study finds they do
Former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump brought out Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock to the RNC last month, while Megan Thee Stallion, George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston are among the star-powered artists who have voiced support for Vice President Kamala Harris in her White House bid.But do election efforts by celebrities move the needle? Or is it all just hype?A new study by Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, shared first by CNN, found that celebrities do play an influential role in promoting civic participation.“While some polling shows that people claim they aren’t influenced by celebrity voices when it comes to politics, more rigorous evidence indicates that these voices are incredibly powerful,” according to the Harvard study.When celebrities promote calls to action, the study found that nonprofits report higher rates of online voter registration and poll worker sign-ups.“Celebrities are uniquely positioned to empower everyday Americans to use their voices and exercise their civic rights,” the report states. “Celebrities are an unparalleled force in American culture, informing what we buy, what we wear, and what we talk about. With their significant influence and reach, they are powerful advocates for social and political causes.”Harvard’s report does not examine celebrity endorsements to specific candidates or political parities, instead focusing on the role celebrities play in nonpartisan voter participation efforts, like educating, mobilizing and encouraging Americans to register to vote.“This study focused on nonpartisan civic engagement and the ways to help empower young people to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” Ashley Spillane, the study’s author and co-founder of the Civic Responsibility Project, told CNN, adding that celebrities can help create “a culture around participation, making it fun and making it something you should care about doing.”That’s a message that could prove critical in turning out first-time or younger voters, who “face barriers to their participation, largely due to a dearth of easily available information about the basic mechanics of casting a ballot in their state,” the study found.“Celebrities have a unique ability to connect with younger generations in ways that mainstream media and other get-out-the-vote efforts may not be able to,” the study states. “Their control of and presence on social media positions them as centralized sources of information to be tapped into and utilized by those looking to increase voter participation.”This campaign season has exploded across social media, with younger voters sharing cat memes (a nod to Trump’s running mate, JD Vance) and coconut tree emojis (a calling card for Harris supporters). British pop star Charli XCX boosted Harris’ Gen Z appeal with one single tweet that read, “Kamala Is Brat.” Trump sat down earlier this week with 23-year-old online streamer, Adin Ross, for an interview on the social platform, Kick, after his teenage son, Barron Trump, said he was a fan of the influencer.Gen Z and Millennials, who will comprise the largest U.S. voting block by 2028, spend an average of 180 minutes and 157 minutes daily on social media, respectively, which is their primary source of news, per the study.Harvard’s researchers noted the power of social media, but also explored celebrity campaigns across mediums, including television, documentaries, merchandising and public service announcements. They looked at data from celebrity initiatives in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 election cycles, including efforts by Kerry Washington, Billie Eilish, Hailey Bieber, Trevor Noah, David Dobrik, Questlove and Taylor Swift.For instance, in 2018, when Swift shared a post on Instagram to encourage her then-112 million followers to register to vote at www.vote.org, the organization saw its largest day of new voter registration in history, according to the report.Other efforts researched include one by Ariana Grande, who promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at her concerts during her “Sweetener” world tour, and Kylie Jenner, who in 2020 posted on Instagram a link to register to vote, which resulted in a 1,500% increase in traffic compared to the day prior.One of the report’s case studies revolves around Eilish, the Grammy-winning singer, who has been outspoken about voting with her young fanbase. In 2020, Eilish recruited poll workers for the organization, Power the Polls, and measured her impact with a unique URL that was shared with her followers.Former “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah also worked with the same non-profit by making calls to action on his nightly show, which recruited more than 35,000 poll workers in 2020, according to Harvard.YouTuber David Dobrik, who is known for car giveaways and has tens of millions of followers across social media platforms, teamed with the non-profit Headcount to gift five Teslas to those registered to vote. Per Harvard’s study, nearly half a million raffle entrants, 75% were millennial or Gen Z, and more than 65% actually went on to vote.Washington, the actress and activist who played a political fixer on ABC’s hit show “Scandal,” launched Influence Change, which recruits fellow artists to promote civic engagement. According to Harvard, through Influence Change, Washington recruited more than 250 celebrities in 2020 to help promote voter registration, early voting, poll worker recruitment and making a voting plan.“Democracies work best when everyone votes. As someone in the public eye, it’s important to me to remind people of their political power and to share whatever information I have that helps them to step into their power,” Washington told CNN. “Artists, musicians, athletes, actors, and creators have a unique opportunity to encourage voters. The combined reach of our networks can be leveraged to inspire participation and ensure that more people take their rightful place as active participants in our democracy.”Washington added, “I don’t speak out because I am an artist, I speak out because I am an American.”
Former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump brought out Hulk Hogan and Kid Rock to the RNC last month, while Megan Thee Stallion, George Clooney and Jennifer Aniston are among the star-powered artists who have voiced support for Vice President Kamala Harris in her White House bid.
But do election efforts by celebrities move the needle? Or is it all just hype?
A new study by Harvard University’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, shared first by CNN, found that celebrities do play an influential role in promoting civic participation.
“While some polling shows that people claim they aren’t influenced by celebrity voices when it comes to politics, more rigorous evidence indicates that these voices are incredibly powerful,” according to the Harvard study.
When celebrities promote calls to action, the study found that nonprofits report higher rates of online voter registration and poll worker sign-ups.
“Celebrities are uniquely positioned to empower everyday Americans to use their voices and exercise their civic rights,” the report states. “Celebrities are an unparalleled force in American culture, informing what we buy, what we wear, and what we talk about. With their significant influence and reach, they are powerful advocates for social and political causes.”
Harvard’s report does not examine celebrity endorsements to specific candidates or political parities, instead focusing on the role celebrities play in nonpartisan voter participation efforts, like educating, mobilizing and encouraging Americans to register to vote.
“This study focused on nonpartisan civic engagement and the ways to help empower young people to make their voice heard at the ballot box,” Ashley Spillane, the study’s author and co-founder of the Civic Responsibility Project, told CNN, adding that celebrities can help create “a culture around participation, making it fun and making it something you should care about doing.”
That’s a message that could prove critical in turning out first-time or younger voters, who “face barriers to their participation, largely due to a dearth of easily available information about the basic mechanics of casting a ballot in their state,” the study found.
“Celebrities have a unique ability to connect with younger generations in ways that mainstream media and other get-out-the-vote efforts may not be able to,” the study states. “Their control of and presence on social media positions them as centralized sources of information to be tapped into and utilized by those looking to increase voter participation.”
This campaign season has exploded across social media, with younger voters sharing cat memes (a nod to Trump’s running mate, JD Vance) and coconut tree emojis (a calling card for Harris supporters). British pop star Charli XCX boosted Harris’ Gen Z appeal with one single tweet that read, “Kamala Is Brat.” Trump sat down earlier this week with 23-year-old online streamer, Adin Ross, for an interview on the social platform, Kick, after his teenage son, Barron Trump, said he was a fan of the influencer.
Gen Z and Millennials, who will comprise the largest U.S. voting block by 2028, spend an average of 180 minutes and 157 minutes daily on social media, respectively, which is their primary source of news, per the study.
Harvard’s researchers noted the power of social media, but also explored celebrity campaigns across mediums, including television, documentaries, merchandising and public service announcements. They looked at data from celebrity initiatives in the 2018, 2020 and 2022 election cycles, including efforts by Kerry Washington, Billie Eilish, Hailey Bieber, Trevor Noah, David Dobrik, Questlove and Taylor Swift.
For instance, in 2018, when Swift shared a post on Instagram to encourage her then-112 million followers to register to vote at www.vote.org, the organization saw its largest day of new voter registration in history, according to the report.
Other efforts researched include one by Ariana Grande, who promoted voter registration in 2019 by setting up booths at her concerts during her “Sweetener” world tour, and Kylie Jenner, who in 2020 posted on Instagram a link to register to vote, which resulted in a 1,500% increase in traffic compared to the day prior.
One of the report’s case studies revolves around Eilish, the Grammy-winning singer, who has been outspoken about voting with her young fanbase. In 2020, Eilish recruited poll workers for the organization, Power the Polls, and measured her impact with a unique URL that was shared with her followers.
Former “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah also worked with the same non-profit by making calls to action on his nightly show, which recruited more than 35,000 poll workers in 2020, according to Harvard.
YouTuber David Dobrik, who is known for car giveaways and has tens of millions of followers across social media platforms, teamed with the non-profit Headcount to gift five Teslas to those registered to vote. Per Harvard’s study, nearly half a million raffle entrants, 75% were millennial or Gen Z, and more than 65% actually went on to vote.
Washington, the actress and activist who played a political fixer on ABC’s hit show “Scandal,” launched Influence Change, which recruits fellow artists to promote civic engagement. According to Harvard, through Influence Change, Washington recruited more than 250 celebrities in 2020 to help promote voter registration, early voting, poll worker recruitment and making a voting plan.
“Democracies work best when everyone votes. As someone in the public eye, it’s important to me to remind people of their political power and to share whatever information I have that helps them to step into their power,” Washington told CNN. “Artists, musicians, athletes, actors, and creators have a unique opportunity to encourage voters. The combined reach of our networks can be leveraged to inspire participation and ensure that more people take their rightful place as active participants in our democracy.”
Washington added, “I don’t speak out because I am an artist, I speak out because I am an American.”
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