Jaime Harrison, who is challenging Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), on Wednesday touted support from liberal comedian Rosie O'Donnell and other liberal celebrities outside South Carolina.
Harrison appeared on ABC's "Powerhouse Politics" podcast, where he discussed receiving celebrity support. "We've gotten so much energy from not only folks outside of South Carolina, but inside South Carolina as well," Harrison said. "Shonda Rhimes, Rosie O'Donnell, just so many people — Don Cheadle, great people that I've looked up to for a long time that are very passionate about this country and which direction it's going in and that they see it's past time to send Lindsey home."
O'Donnell has feuded with Trump for several years. She admitted last year she was "physically sick" on election night in 2016, and described Trump on Twitter as "cruel piece of human waste." In response to a tweet likening the Trump administration to Nazis, O'Donnell tweeted, "May they all die in prison."
Shonda Rhimes, a television producer and film writer, has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Sens. Kamala Harris and Kirsten Gillibrand. She also donated $10,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) last August and joined the national board of Planned Parenthood in 2017.
Harrison told host Rick Klein that he "really wanted to jump up and scream" when actor Mark Hamill gave him a shoutout on Twitter. When asked if he was planning any events with Hamill, Harrison said he would "love to do an event" with the Star Wars actor.
Hamill is a staunch critic of President Donald Trump and Republicans on Twitter, claiming "Putin elected Trump," and that he has "betrayed" the United States. Hamill also tweeted that he had given up on Republicans caring about the United States until Rep. Justin Amash (R., Mich.) said Trump should be impeached.
Liberal comedian Chelsea Handler also tweeted in support of Harrison. In addition to donating tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic politicians, Handler has criticized White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, calling her a "harlot" with "summer whore lipstick all over her face." She also suggested trading Trump for "more sane" North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. On Wednesday, she tweeted that Trump referring to automatic guns as possible entertainment was "grounds for impeachment."
We need to work hard and long to make sure that Lindsey Graham doesn’t get releected. I’m not interested in the idea that @harrisonjaime winning is a long shot. Donald Trump is the president. Anything is possible, This guy needs our support and every dollar counts. https://t.co/SK1spg25SB
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) June 3, 2019
Other celebrity endorsements on Twitter include actress Debra Messing and Ellen Show executive producer Andy Lassner.
https://twitter.com/DebraMessing/status/1133822688445763585
https://twitter.com/andylassner/status/1133719624669773826
Harrison, the first black chairman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, formally announced his candidacy last Wednesday with the rollout of a campaign video that tied Graham to President Donald Trump, saying Graham "traded his moral compass for petty political gain."