2024: The year pro-Trump celebrities became mainstream

In 2024, President-elect Donald Trump managed to earn the support of many high-profile figures – entertainers, athletes, podcasters and executives – who openly aligned themselves with the Make America Great Again message this year and challenged the seemingly insurmountable blue wave of stars who remain Trump cynics.

What was once a rare phenomenon in liberal-leaning Hollywood seemed to become some semblance of mainstream, raising questions about the shifting cultural dynamics in the deep blue bastion and the role of political partisanship in shaping public perception.

From the red carpet to red MAGA hats, these Trump-supporting celebrities set their hearts on Making America – and perhaps Hollywood – Great Again in 2024 and beyond. 

TRUMP'S VICTORY: HOLLYWOOD ELITE WHO VOWED TO LEAVE US IF HE WON ARE  ‘ALL TALK, NO WALK,' EXPERT SAYS

Elon Musk unveiled his now-iconic "Dark MAGA" hat while energizing Trump supporters in Butler, Pennsylvania, three months after gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks made the first attempt on the then-presidential candidate's life at the site.

The billionaire entrepreneur, who has long defied conventional norms, "fully" endorsed Trump after the Butler shooting on July 13, posting a clip of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, along with his message of support.

He launched a pro-Trump super PAC, spoke at Trump's massive rally at New York City's iconic Madison Square Garden just before the election, and even agreed to take an active role in his incoming administration by co-leading the newfound Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. 

With the changing of the guard next month, the entrepreneurial duo looks to streamline government processes, cutting out wasteful spending and downsizing a bloated bureaucracy. 

Illustrious podcaster Joe Rogan shocked many when he publicly endorsed Trump on the eve of the 2024 election, crediting Elon Musk for his "compelling case" for then-candidate Trump. 

"The great and powerful @elonmusk. If it wasn't for him we'd be f---ked. He makes what I think is the most compelling case for Trump you'll hear, and I agree with him every step of the way. For the record, yes, that's an endorsement of Trump. Enjoy the podcast," Rogan wrote.

Known for his candid opinions and immense influence, Rogan's last minute endorsement dealt a significant blow to the Harris campaign, which had already struggled to secure a number of key endorsements.

Both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance made appearances on Rogan's podcast before the Nov. 5 faceoff, with Trump's funny and authentic demeanor impressing the host. Harris reportedly had plans to sit down with Rogan for an interview as well, but her campaign's insistence that the interview last only one hour – and that Rogan travel to meet her – never worked out.

"Trumpamaniacs" filled the Fiserv Forum at this year's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – their cheerleader, WWE legend Hulk Hogan, taking to the stage to show his support shortly after the Butler, Pennsylvania shooting.

Hogan stood on stage in a dark shirt branded with his "Real American Beer" logo under a dark jacket, but he proceeded to take off the latter and rip off the former in true pro-wrestling fashion, revealing a red Trump-Vance shirt.

"Enough was enough, and I said, let Trump-a-mania run wild, brother. Let Trump-a-mania rule again. Let Trump-a-mania make America great again," he shouted. 

"I’ve seen some great tag teams in my time – Hulk Hogan and oooh, yeah, the ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage. But you know something? I see the greatest tag team of my life standing upon us and getting ready to straighten this country out for all the real Americans," he added. 

The wrestling icon also pumped up the crowd at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally in October, where he tore into Harris for her mishandling of the southern border crisis and praised Trump as the "only man that can fix this country today."

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul opened up about his support for Trump in October, taking to social media to announce that he had essentially "rescinded" his right to vote in the then-upcoming presidential election by moving to Puerto Rico, but he wanted to make his voice heard somehow.

Paul said he was "nervous" to make the video and weighed how it might impact his career. He proceeded to criticize the current trajectory of the nation that has largely remained under Democratic control for 12 of the last 16 years, asking, "So, if we aren’t happy with the current political state, economic state, environmental state, then who is to blame?" 

"Do the right thing, vote for Donald Trump. Not because I said so, not because Beyoncé said so, but because it’s what’s right… Please, go, for the love of God, go exercise your right to vote on my behalf and vote for Donald Trump in this election. America depends on it," he said.

Paul celebrated Trump's win over Harris shortly after the Fox News desk projected the victory, saying, "The truth and God won in America."

Packers quarterback legend Brett Favre made the crowd roar at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin when he spoke out in support of Trump, likening him to the Packers organization by calling him a "winner."

"The United States of America won with his leadership," he told the crowd.

Favre took on an imperative tone as he spoke of the Nov. 5 election, warning that "there’s never been a more important time in our lives than right now."

He also spoke in a language many easily understood, his words rife with football analogies and references to the team that voters in the key swing state adore. He mentioned the definition of insanity – doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting a different result.

"Sounds like the first couple of years of my tenure here with the Packers," he joked. "Mike Holmgren would say, ‘What in the hell are you doing, Brett?’ I said, ‘Hell, I don’t know, Mike.’ But we figured out a way to get it done."

Tethering the example to the Biden-Harris administration, he added, "It would be insane to give Kamala four more years in office."

Former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick voted for the first time ever in the 2024 presidential election, casting her ballot for Donald Trump. 

Patrick, who remains the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race in history, discussed her decision on "Jesse Watters Primetime" in October and speculated that many women reluctant to vote for Trump may have had an issue with his personality. 

"It feels like voting for Donald Trump is like the vote of reason. It’s like the rational, reasonable choice," she said.

"I feel like most of all, though, what this country could be if he gets into office, with all the amazing, brilliant people who are supporting him, I feel like it can not only make America great again, but make America greater than it’s ever been," she added later.

The formerly apolitical racecar driver began paying close attention to the news earlier this year and developed her opinions. She showed her support for the Trump-Vance ticket prior to her discussion with Watters, hosting a Q&A session with Vance in Greensboro, North Carolina in October.

Patrick even made appearances at Trump-related events such as a Trump Team women's tour stop in Atlanta, Georgia and a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

Finding rapper and formerly-adamant Trump opponent Amber Rose on stage at any GOP-related event might have seemed unthinkable to some, yet her smile beamed at the crowd as she spoke to delegates and spectators at this year's Republican National Convention.

Her purpose? Explaining how Trump had earned her support.

"I realize Donald Trump and his supporters don’t care if you’re Black, White, gay or straight, it’s all love. And that’s when it hit me, these are my people. This is where I belong," the TV personality said.

Critics on both sides of the aisle hurled insults her way before and after she took the stage, with some conservatives criticizing her for being not conservative enough and some liberal voices calling out the alleged bid to recruit more minority voters.

Not all were critical of her presence, however.

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith came to her defense amid the criticism, saying, "I know that Amber Rose took a lot of hits. Y’all kick rocks with that. She did a good job. She did a good job."

Young conservative Xaviaer DuRousseau said that Rose's addition to the guest list offered evidence that the 2024 RNC would be a "historic event." 

"Amber Rose is one of many Black Americans who finally woke up from the Left's lies after doing her own research about President Trump," he said.

"Reagan" star Dennis Quaid rallied for Trump in Coachella, California weeks before Election Day, telling voters "it's time to pick a side" while comparing and contrasting Trump and Harris' visions for the future.

"Are we going to be a nation that stands for the Constitution? Or for TikTok? Are we going to be a nation of law and order? Or wide open borders? Which is it? Because it's time to pick a side," he said, donning a MAGA hat.

With record-high inflation, hostages in the Middle East and an apparent blanket of malaise over the U.S., he likened the 2024 race to the 1980 faceoff between Ronald Reagan and then-Democratic President Jimmy Carter. 

"I'm going to ask you a question that Reagan asked America back then, and I think it's the question that got him elected. Are you better off than you were four years ago?" Quaid said. 

Earlier this year, Quaid applauded Trump for paying visits to New York neighborhoods after his rally in the South Bronx, suggesting that the move made him appear "more human" to people.

"Sopranos" star Drea de Matteo may call herself a "liberal," but, in her eyes, the "mean-spirited" nature that has possessed the progressive left falls short of the way things should be.

"Say what you want about Trump, and I understand that a lot of people have Trump Derangement Syndrome," she said. "I was one of them. But people can change. And it's not that Trump changed, I changed, and I did my research, and I paid more attention to what was going on."

She criticized celebrities who openly mocked the July assassination attempt against Trump, including "Star Wars" star Mark Hamill and Kyle Gass, a bandmate of actor and musician Jack Black.

"Everybody has their right to their opinion, and they have freedom of speech, so here we are," she told Fox News Digital. "But, again, I'm a liberal. I am a liberal who does not understand how the left has become so rebellious, with not one undertone of peace, love, harmony and compassion. You're supposed to be the party of inclusivity, of love, of peace. And all of a sudden, these are the rioters. These are the mean-spirited folks out there. And I don't understand that."

She called for celebrities who are vehemently opposed to Trump to do some internal reflecting, to ask themselves "why they're so filled with rage."

Comedian, actor and podcaster Russell Brand has been notoriously outspoken, challenging the system and vehemently opposing censorship.

He sounded off on the 2024 election earlier this year, picking Trump as the better candidate for preserving democratic values.

"In a straight choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, if you care about democracy, if you care about freedom, I don’t know how you could do anything other than vote for Donald Trump for precisely the reasons that they claim that you can’t," he told RNC spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko during a June clip of the "Stay Free with Russell Brand" podcast, obtained by Fox News Digital at the time.

President Biden was still a contender in the race at the time, later passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris after a debate performance that was widely considered poor.

Brand was also in Milwaukee for this year's Republican National Convention, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and was recently spotted at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

"Shazam!" star Zachary Levi also endorsed Trump this year, revealing the decision while moderating an event in Michigan with former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard – now both Trump cabinet nominees.

"We are going to take back this country. We are going to make it great again, we're going to make it healthy again. And so I stand with Bobby and I stand with everyone else who is standing with President Trump," Levi said in September. 

"Of the two choices that we have, and we only have two, President Trump is the man that can get us there." 

Levi refuted claims that his career had suffered following his Trump endorsement, telling HBO's Bill Maher that it's still "full steam ahead" for several in-progress projects, though he did not yet know what the "ultimate effects" of the endorsement might be.

Fox News' Cortney O'Brien, Alexa Moutevelis, Alexander Hall, Yael Halon, Paulina Dedaj, Scott Thompson, Danielle Wallace, Joshua Q. Nelson, Gabriel Hays, Gabriele Regalbuto, Charles Creitz and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.