Could celebrity endorsements make a difference in this year’s election?

SALT LAKE CITY — Celebrity endorsements could play a bigger role in this year’s presidential election, thanks to social media.

From pop stars like Charli XCX to wrestling legends like Hulk Hogan, many celebrities are taking a stand and endorsing a presidential candidate.

Kelly Patterson, a political science professor at Brigham Young University, said celebrity endorsements help people who don’t have enough information to make a decision on their own.

A celebrity endorsement isn’t going to make or break a candidate, but it can send a quick message to a lot of people. If a voter admires or agrees with a celebrity’s previous takes or values, it can help push them toward the candidate of their choice.

It can also have the opposite effect, Patterson said. If a celebrity who is under some controversy endorses a candidate, it can drive voters away from that candidate.

“It sends signals to those people who would potentially support, and it sends signals to people who would potentially oppose. In both cases, what celebrity endorsements often do is simply reinforce the disposition that voters have,” Patterson said.

For someone who has a strong tie to their party, an endorsement won’t change their mind. However, for someone who is unsure, it can determine their vote.

Celebrity endorsements have also led to an increase in fake and AI-generated endorsements.

That only means one thing. Endorsements do matter.

Patterson said if endorsements didn’t matter, people wouldn’t be making fake ones.

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