Remember how Hollywood rallied around Barack Obama not once but twice to help him become president.
That was nothing. A warm up. A practice run.
Call it a dress rehearsal if you must.
Sometime soon, maybe even over the next 24 hours, the entertainment community will unofficially declare war on presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Sen. Ted Cruz officially suspended his presidential campaign Tuesday after yet another crushing electoral defeat. That means barring a convention switcheroo of X-Files proportions, Trump is the GOP nominee for the Oval Office.
The Hollywood community isn’t enamored with Hillary Clinton, the woman who will most likely square off against Trump in November. Many stars preferred self-described socialist Bernie Sanders. Others rightly questioned the ethical cloud hovering over Clinton.
None of that matters. Not now.
Liberal celebrities know the GOP has been staggered like never before. Nominating Trump, a candidate who openly embraces big government policies and can’t even properly identify what it means to be a conservative, is a rolling nightmare.
Stars can help retain the White House for another four years if they act quickly and decisively. They also can throw a one-two combination that could knock out the Grand Old Party for the foreseeable future.
And here’s how they’ll declare War on Trump’s presidential hopes:
Late Night Fireworks: Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers and Samantha Bee have already started their Trump attacks in earnest. But they also saved some very nasty jabs for Sen. Cruz. Now, it’s time to roll up their sleeves and really get down to business. If Cruz is “repulsive,” “creepy,” “reptilian” and “evil,” imagine the names they’ll call Trump.
Trump-Level Villains: We’ve recently saw a TV show showcase a villain who resembled a certain real estate mogul. Expect more characters from a similar mold to appear in broadcast TV story lines. Films can’t add Trump-like characters quickly enough to do the same. Television shows are much more nimble and can adapt to breaking news trends.
Quickie Documentaries: Feature films requires significant lead time before they reach your local movie house. Documentaries, with no casts to speak of and modest budgets, can ramp up production much more quickly. Don’t be surprised to see a new documentary or two excoriating Trump for, well, just take your pick of his vulnerable areas. HBO alone might unveil more than one between now and November.
PSAs Galore: Remember Lena Dunham’s “First Time” video? She recalled, with a series of moist-eyed glances, how she cast her vote for the first black president. Expect a flood of celebrities rushing to their favorite YouTube-friendly cameras to tell voters not to vote for Trump.
Talk Show Speeches: Stars typically work the talk show circuit to plug their latest projects. They also sneak in some political commentary at the same time. Last month, Sarah Silverman donned a Hitler outfit to mock Trump during a “Conan” appearance. We likely will see more such “spontaneous” appearances letting stars vent on the current presidential race.
Pass the Hat Fundraisers: Celebrities generate plenty of coin for Democrats. Swanky home-based fundraisers. Rock concerts doubling as coffer stuffers. With the threat of a President Trump, even more A-listers will open up their homes, and wallets, for Clinton 2.0.
And there could be more orchestrated attacks to come.
We’ve never seen a presidential candidate like Trump. And we may never see a response from Hollywood like we’re about to see.
So far, every conventional attack – and gaffe – hasn’t slowed Trump’s rise. In fact, it’s easy to argue his mistakes only spurred on his ascent. Will Hollywood’s assault have the same effect?
[Cross-posted on HollywoodinToto.com.]
