Hollywood celebrities still haven't figured out what regular voters learned in November.
Their endorsements are political poison.
And Hollywood's most woke stars just made one move that should terrify Eric Swalwell.
Sean Penn and Robert De Niro lead celebrity cash dump for scandal-plagued Congressman
California Congressman Eric Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign just raked in over $100,000 from Hollywood's woke elite.
Sean Penn threw $15,000 at Swalwell's campaign while Robert De Niro and Jon Hamm each kicked in $10,000.
The late Rob Reiner contributed $10,000 before his tragic death, and Jon Cryer matched that amount.
Swalwell's leading the pack among California governor candidates when it comes to entertainment industry cash.
That should terrify him.
These are the exact same celebrities who burned through Kamala Harris' campaign funds last year with zero results.
Harris spent $20 million on star-studded concerts in swing states featuring Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry.
The campaign blew through $1 billion in donor money and still ended up in debt.
Trump won all seven swing states anyway.
A Rasmussen poll after the election found 75% of voters said celebrity endorsements made no difference in how they voted.
Among liberals, that number jumped to 80%.
Even Bill Maher is now telling Hollywood to shut up about politics.
But Sean Penn and his woke friends apparently didn't get the memo.
Swalwell's Chinese spy scandal makes him toxic
The celebrity backing gets even more embarrassing when you remember why Swalwell is running for governor in the first place.
He can't stay in Congress much longer with the cloud hanging over his head.
From 2012 to 2015, Swalwell had close ties with Christine Fang, a suspected Chinese intelligence operative who targeted rising political stars in California.
Fang raised money for Swalwell's 2014 re-election campaign and helped place an intern in his congressional office.
The FBI gave Swalwell a defensive briefing in 2015 after they became alarmed by Fang's activities.
He cut ties with her immediately, but the damage was done.
Fang had already spent years cultivating relationships with Swalwell and other California politicians.
She used fundraising, networking, and romantic relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors to gain access to political power.
The House Ethics Committee investigated Swalwell for two years before closing the probe in 2023 without finding wrongdoing.
But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy still removed him from the Intelligence Committee, citing classified briefings about the security threat.
Now Swalwell wants California voters to make him governor despite questions about his judgment and the company he keeps.
Hollywood's touch of death strikes again
YouGov surveyed Americans in August 2024 and found something devastating for celebrity activists.
Only 11% of Americans said a celebrity ever caused them to reconsider their stance on a political issue.
Just 7% supported a candidate because of a celebrity endorsement.
The most likely outcome when celebrities engage in politics?
Voters think less of the celebrity.
A full 51% said a celebrity's political position led them to think less of that celebrity.
Sarah Silverman, who campaigned for Obama and spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, admitted she sat out the 2024 race entirely.
"My feeling was that no one wanted to hear from celebrities right now," Silverman told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
She was right.
After Taylor Swift endorsed Harris, 20% of voters said they were LESS likely to vote for Harris because of it.
The problem is obvious to anyone outside the Hollywood bubble.
What do multimillionaires like Sean Penn or Robert De Niro know about grocery prices crushing working families?
They're completely disconnected from the struggles of average Californians.
When voters see Hollywood lining up behind a candidate, they don't see validation.
They see a warning sign that the candidate is out of touch with regular people.
Democrats keep making the same mistake
The pattern is crystal clear at this point.
Kamala Harris' celebrity-fueled campaign crashed and burned despite spending unprecedented amounts on star power.
A Breitbart analysis found the 19 wealthiest celebrities who endorsed candidates in 2024 all supported Harris.
Bruce Springsteen is worth $750 million, LeBron James $800 million, and Taylor Swift $1.5 billion.
These people have no idea what it's like to worry about paying rent or filling up a gas tank.
Democrats excel at raising and spending money on celebrity spectacles.
What they don't do well is connect with voters who work for a living.
Harris became the first Democrat since John Kerry to lose the popular vote.
Now Swalwell is walking straight into the same trap with Sean Penn and the resistance crowd backing him.
The California gubernatorial race is wide open with no clear frontrunner.
Recent polling shows Swalwell at 20% after entering the race, tied with former Congresswoman Katie Porter.
Republican candidates are splitting conservative support while Democrats fracture across multiple candidates.
In California's top-two primary system, the two highest vote-getters advance to the general regardless of party.
That creates the real possibility of two Republicans making the general election if Democrats stay divided.
Swalwell needs to unite Democrats and win over independents to have any chance.
Instead, he's got Hollywood's most insufferable leftists writing checks and holding fundraisers.
Regular California voters see those celebrity names and remember their own grocery bills, gas prices, and struggles to make rent.
They remember Kamala Harris spent millions on celebrity concerts while Americans suffered under Biden inflation.
Sean Penn's $15,000 check won't help Swalwell connect with those voters.
It'll remind them exactly who he represents.
And it's not them.
Sources:
- Axios, "Exclusive: How a suspected Chinese spy gained access to California politics," December 14, 2020.
- Breitbart, "Exclusive: Poll Proves Wide Majority of Americans Reject Celebrity Endorsements," November 25, 2024.
- Emerson College Polling, "California 2026 Poll: Swalwell Shakes Up Election for Governor," December 17, 2025.
- NBC News, "House Ethics Committee ends investigation into Rep. Eric Swalwell," May 24, 2023.
- New York Post, "Sean Penn, Robert De Niro lead Hollywood A-listers lining up behind lefty Eric Swalwell's bid for California governor," January 31, 2026.
- That Park Place, "Celebrities Look to Exit Politics as Endorsements Seem to Have Backfired in 2024," December 6, 2024.
- YouGov, "One in ten Americans say a celebrity has caused them to reconsider a political position," October 29, 2024.
