N.Y. celebs endorse presidential candidates ahead of high-stakes primary
CBC News | Posted: April 16, 2016 3:00 PM | Last Updated: April 16, 2016
A look at some famous New Yorkers who have endorsed candidates in the race to the White house
Tuesday's primary in New York is a critical, high-stakes contest with a huge cache of delegates at stake.
The Democrats are coming off a feisty debate in Brooklyn on Thursday night, with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders aggressively challenging whether the other had the judgment to be president. The Democratic fight Thursday came at a pivotal moment in the party's primary campaign, with Clinton leading in the delegate count but Sanders generating huge enthusiasm for his surprising candidacy.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are also trying to woo New Yorkers, with Donald Trump praising the city's response to the Sept. 11 attacks in remarks designed to jab rival Ted Cruz, a Texas senator who has repeatedly condemned "New York values" in his push to defeat the New York real estate mogul.
With all this political drama, here's a look at some celebrities (many from new York) who have not been shy about which candidate they support.
Charlie Sheen
New York native Charlie Sheen said in an August 2015 tweet that he would be Trump's running mate and vice president "in a heartbeat," sparking the hashtag #TrumpSheen16.
Robert De Niro
Acclaimed actor Robert De Niro is backing democratic presidential candidate Clinton, telling The Daily Beast in April 2015 that she has "earned the right to be president."
Susan Sarandon
Actress Susan Sarandon, also a New York Native, has been vocal in her support for Sanders, speaking at several of the Vermont senator's campaign rallies.
Sarandon also took to Twitter after Thursday night's Democratic debate, saying that Sanders was the clear winner.
Mike Tyson
The former heavyweight boxing champ is on record saying he would endorse Trump as the next U.S. president.
"He should be president of the United States," Tyson told Huffington Post in October. "Let's try something new. Let's run America like a business, where no colours matter. Whoever can do the job, gets the job."
Spike Lee
Filmmaker Spike Lee has thrown his support behind Sanders.
Lee, a proud New Yorker who can usually be spotted courtside at Madison Square Garden cheering on the Knicks, lent his voice to a Sanders radio ad that aired in South Carolina earlier this year.
"Wake up, South Carolina. This is your dude, Spike Lee. And I know that you know the system is rigged," the filmmaker says in the ad. "When Bernie gets in the White House, he will do the right thing."
Jennifer Lopez
While JLo hasn't officially endorsed Clinton for president, she did say she was "very excited" after Clinton announced her candidacy. In an interview last year, the singer and Bronx, N.Y. native said "I think it's time for a woman [president]."
Non New Yorkers endorse their candidates
Phil Robertson, star of the reality television show Duck Dynasty, officially endorsed Cruz in a campaign ad posted to YouTube in January.
"My qualifications for president of the United States are rather narrow," he says in the ad. "Is he or she Godly, does he or she love us, can he or she do the job, and finally, would they kill a duck and put him in a pot and make him a good duck gumbo? I've looked at the candidates. Ted Cruz is my man, he fits the bill."
However, there is some disagreement within the Roberston clan, as Phil's son Willie announced in January that he's supporting Trump for president.
"Mr. Trump is a real leader," Robertson said in a news release. "He represents success and strength, two attributes our country needs."
Tim Allen supports John Kasich...
"I went to see him at an L.A. town meeting, which is usually a very liberal forum," Allen told Fox News in August 2015. "He talked about poor people -- the underprivileged and the working poor. It was very un-Republican. He's a Republican that a Democrat could vote for."
... While Neil Young feels the Bern
He's not a New Yorker - in fact he isn't even American - but Neil Young has publicly offered his support to Sanders.
In September, the Canadian rocker addressed Trump's unauthorized use of his song Rockin' in the Free World on the campaign trail.
"Donald Trump is Donald Trump, and I don't dislike Donald," Young said. "I don't agree with his policies … But Bernie [Sanders] has been using it now. Donald just never asked me, that's all. If he'd asked me I would have said, you know, I really like Bernie. But he didn't ask me. It's OK."