With the US election less than a fortnight away, social media has understandably been awash with celebrities using their platforms to tell their followers to ‘Vote!’. It’s far rarer, however, for Hollywood stars to admit exactly how they voted.
Which is why actress Jennifer Lawrence has divided opinion by admitting that she used to vote Republican. The Oscar-winner revealed in the Absolutely Not podcast on Wednesday, 'I grew up Republican. My first time voting, I voted for John McCain. I was a little Republican.' She said that growing up in a Republican household allowed her to 'see the fiscal benefits of some of the Republican policies.'
Jennifer added that 'the social issues weren’t in line with my views' and over the years, she changed her politics based on the things she learned. ‘It’s 2015 and gay people can get married and we think that we’ve come so far, so, yay! But have we? I don’t want to stay quiet about that stuff,’ she explained.
Since then, Jennifer has endorsed Joe Biden for President, and on Wednesday she said it was Donald Trump’s presidency which ‘changed everything’ for her when it came to her political standpoint. 'This is an impeached president who's broken many laws and has refused to condemn white supremacy, and it feels like there has been a line drawn in the sand. I don’t think it’s right... it just changes things for me.' She continued, 'I don't want to support a president who supports white supremacists.’ Finally, she said, 'My view on the election is pretty cut-and-dried: If Donald Trump is president of the United States, it will be the end of the world.'
The actress’s comments have been the cause of online debate. One twitter user wrote that she should be 'applauded' for changing the belief system she was brought up with in Kentucky, a predominantly conservative area. Others responded that she could simply keep the information to herself.
Jennifer appeared on a cover of V Magazine's special election issue earlier this month. Inside she said, ‘Voting is the foundation of our democracy and our freedom. And I would consider this upcoming election the most consequential of our lifetime. I’m voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this year because Donald Trump has and will continue to put himself before the safety and well-being of America. He does not represent my values as an American, and most importantly as a human being.'
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