Here’s How Taylor Swift, Lizzo, And More Celebrities Reacted To The Presidential Debate

From Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph branding Trump “delusional” to Jimmy Kimmel and Flavor Flav poking fun at the entire thing, here’s what the celebs are saying.

By
Leyla Mohammed
by Leyla Mohammed

BuzzFeed Staff

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By now, you’ve definitely seen all the buzz around last night’s debate between former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

The debate took place live in Philadelphia and was broadcast across the nation, meaning that millions of people watched as several awkward and ridiculous moments unfolded throughout the night.

Donald Trump in a suit and tie and Kamala Harris in a blazer shake hands on a debate stage
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images

Lots of celebrities have since shared their thoughts, so here’s a breakdown of reactions.

1. Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington in a deep V-neck blazer, wearing a sparkling necklace, stands in an outdoor setting with greenery in the background
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images for Michael Kors
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Kerry shared a photo of herself wearing a top that said “Madam President,” which she captioned, “Post #debate assessment #HarrisWalz2024.” Straight to the point.

Post #debate assessment #HarrisWalz2024 pic.twitter.com/WWZBOWdr7I

— kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @kerrywashington

2. Stephen King

Stephen King at the Toronto International Film Festival, wearing a suit jacket and shirt, against a backdrop with TIFF and sponsor logos
Mathew Tsang / Getty Images

Author Stephen King kept things candid, tweeting, “Trump sounds barking mad.”

Trump sounds barking mad.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @StephenKing

3. Lizzo

Lizzo poses on the red carpet in an elegant off-shoulder dark dress with long gloves at the Breakthrough Prize event
Craig T Fruchtman / Getty Images

Sharing a now-viral photo of Harris looking very confused at Trump’s comments, Lizzo wrote, “Same…”

4. Flavor Flav

Flavor Flav wears a white jacket with a "24" on the sleeve, "Team USA" cap, and large sunglasses, holding a mic
Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images

Flavor Flav poked fun at Trump’s baseless claim that immigrants are eating pets, tweeting, “Pet Shop Boys better stay inside and lock the doors. You too Snoop Dogg. And Pitbull.”

Pet Shop Boys better stay inside and lock the doors. You too Snoop Dogg. And Pitbull.

— FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @FlavorFlav

5. Bette Midler

Bette Midler smiles at a Wall Street Journal event in a dark V-neck dress
Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

Actor Bette Midler — who has long criticized Trump — shared a string of tweets expressing her dismay at his statements. She ultimately wrote of Harris, “She won. Case closed. Bravo.”

She won. Case closed. Bravo.

— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @BetteMidler

6. Frankie Grande

Frankie Grande on the red carpet, wearing a stylish short-sleeve top with a collar, accessorized with glittery makeup and a colorful necklace
Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images

Ariana Grande’s brother, Frankie, tweeted, “Kamala Harris just destroyed that ancient disgrace of a former president. She is EVERYTHING I’ve always dreamed a president could be. He is literally everyone’s worst nightmare. And he’s losing his mind… #Debate2024.”

Kamala Harris just destroyed that ancient disgrace of a former president. She is EVERYTHING I’ve always dreamed a president could be. He is literally everyone’s worst nightmare. And he’s losing his mind… #Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/WjEcXYUOY7

— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @FrankieJGrande

7. Dionne Warwick

Dionne Warwick at a Grammy event, wearing a sparkling jacket over a top, smiling for the camera. The Grammy logo is visible in the background
Lester Cohen / Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Dionne appeared to shade Trump as she tweeted, “Doing all that yelling and lying.”

Doing all that yelling and lying.

— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @dionnewarwick

8. Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer speaks into a microphone while holding a smartphone. She is wearing a stylish halter dress
Kayla Oaddams / Getty Images

Similarly, Keke kept things short and sweet, writing, “Chewed.”

Chewed.

— Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @KekePalmer

9. Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo posing on the red carpet in a dark suit with a white pocket square, black tie, and a button pin on his lapel
Amy Sussman / WireImage

Mark shared a longer post about his thoughts on the debate. He wrote, “Honestly, I was anxious about this debate but what is clear is that Kamala not only has a vision for the future and lifting America up but she is just so much even-tempered and so much smarter than Trump. She crushed him.”

Honestly, I was anxious about this debate but what is clear is that Kamala not only has a vision for the future and lifting America up but she is just so much even-tempered and so much smarter that Trump. She crushed him. #Debate2024

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @MarkRuffalo

10. Jimmy Kimmel

Jimmy Kimmel on a red carpet, wearing a dress shirt and a black suit jacket, with a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce backdrop
Michael Buckner / Variety via Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel posted an Inside Out-inspired meme that represented Trump and Harris, quipping, “Anyone else watching on Disney Plus?”

11. Mark Hamill

Mark Hamill at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), wearing a blazer and a shirt, standing in front of a branded background
Emma Mcintyre / WireImage

Star Wars actor Mark Hamill poked fun at some of Trump’s bizarre statements. He tweeted, “Him: We are a failing, 3rd-World nation! We're headed for WWIII! They're killing babies after they're born! Haitian migrants are eating your pets! Couldn't think of anything he'd do differently on Jan 6th!”

Him: We are a failing, 3rd-World nation!
We're headed for WWIII!
They're killing babies after they're born!
Haitian migrants are eating your pets!
Couldn't think of anything he'd do differently on Jan 6th!#AngryDefensiveandWeird 🤬🤪
Her: Presidential 🇺🇸#WeAreNOTGoingBack

— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @MarkHamill

12. Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph, wearing an off-the-shoulder dress, sits at a table during an event, with a rainbow flag and table number 109 visible
Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images for Critics Choice Association

Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph shared many tweets criticizing Trump, one of which read, “This man is weak, stupid and delusional!!”

Tweets by Sheryl Lee Ralph expressing anger and criticism, mentioning a "plan," raising the Central Park 5 incident, and criticizing a former president
Twitter: @thesherylralph

13. Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner smiles while wearing a suit and tie, standing with hands in pockets at an event
Emma Mcintyre / Getty Images for TCM

Actor Rob Reiner tweeted, “Tonight we saw the next President of the United States, and her name is Kamala Harris.”

Tonight we saw the next President of the United States, and her name is Kamala Harris.

— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @robreiner

14. Barack Obama

Barack Obama speaks at the Sandy Hook Promise event, standing behind a podium with a green backdrop and the Sandy Hook Promise logo
Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

Former US president Barack Obama, who has continually voiced his support for Harris, posted, “Tonight, we saw firsthand who has the vision and strength to move this country forward instead of dividing us. @KamalaHarris will be a president for all Americans.”

Tonight, we saw firsthand who has the vision and strength to move this country forward instead of dividing us. @KamalaHarris will be a president for all Americans. 

Let's get to work: https://t.co/EuAXRi0gI2

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 11, 2024
Twitter: @BarackObama

15. Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama smiling and clasping her hands while standing at a podium, wearing a sleeveless, high-neck dress
Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

Similarly, former first lady Michelle Obama wrote: “After tonight’s debate there should be no doubt – no room for discussion – @KamalaHarris is the only candidate in this race who is ready to be President. I am once again urging everyone to roll up their sleeves and DO SOMETHING – phone bank, knock on doors, talk to any and everyone you know and urge them to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”

Tweet from Michelle Obama urging support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, encouraging phone banking and participation. Visit go.KamalaHarris.com for more info
@MichelleObama / Via Twitter: @MichelleObama

16. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift performs on stage wearing a one-shoulder, black bodysuit with intricate red detailing and sheer sections, holding a microphone
Gareth Cattermole / Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Finally, in arguably the biggest celebrity reaction, Taylor endorsed Harris on Instagram after the debate. She wrote, “Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. [...] I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

Taylor Swift, smiling, wearing a sequined, sleeveless bodysuit, performing on stage with her right arm raised and holding a microphone in her left hand
Kate Green / Getty Images

You can find more of our coverage around the 2024 election right here.

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