STAR WARS — George Clooney and Julia Roberts are beseeching you — chip in $25 to Democrats’ fundraising operation today to enter their “Premiere Night with the Presidents” contest. The fundraising blast, which has shown up consistently in inboxes over the past week, is the clearest sign that the Democratic Hollywood machine is cranking back into gear with the presidential election just five months away. In recent weeks, actor Robert DeNiro showed up in lower Manhattan for a press conference at the Biden campaign’s behest. Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame made a White House briefing room appearance to ask if he could call Biden “JoeBi-Wan Kenobi.” Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer campaigned with Vice President Kamala Harris on a recent trip to Michigan, a key swing state. Next up is a star-studded June 15 fundraiser in Los Angeles where late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel will interview President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Barack Obama, along with special guests Clooney and Roberts. It’s the latest indication that Hollywood, long a significant part of the Democratic coalition, is beginning to focus its attention on an election where Biden has consistently trailed in the polls against former President Donald Trump. “We’ve all been kind of freaking out since 2020,” said David Mandel, executive producer of “Veep” and a longtime Los Angeles resident. “You know what I mean? It wasn’t like that was a cakewalk.” Mandel explained that he has seen — and felt — an increased sense of urgency among Democrats in Los Angeles with the prospect of Trump’s return to the White House. When Trump defeated Hillary Clinton eight years ago, Mandel said he was shocked. “It made me think to myself that I could have done more, I could have sent more letters, I could have been more public and I could have given more money,” said Mandel. “And I wasn’t going to let that happen again.” Hollywood has historically served as a money machine for the Democratic Party, and some of its most high profile stars have been vigorous supporters of Democratic nominees. In the last presidential election cycle, individuals in the television, music and movie industries contributed more than $104 million to Democrats, compared to just over $12 million for Republicans, according to non-profit Open Secrets. Biden isn’t exactly inspiring the entertainment industry to action. It’s more about distaste for the alternative. Alex Gregory, a writer who worked with Mandel on “Veep” and “White House Plumbers,” said the choice between Biden and Trump — which he views as “malaise or chaos” — has made him nervous. “Nobody’s excited about Biden the way that they were about Obama and the way they were about Bill Clinton,” said Gregory. While splashy endorsements from liberal stars (and the attendant backlash from Republicans) traditionally come in September and October, the familiarity of the two nominees and the Democrats’ anxiety are accelerating the process this year. “There’s a little bit of a different dynamic at play this cycle,” said Democratic political consultant Alyssa Cass. Former Biden speechwriter Matt Tillman, who began a volunteer group of Democratic actors, producers and writers in 2017, said he has seen Democrats mobilizing on their anxiety this year. The private working group, which focuses on increasing voter turnout in swing states, has an email list of more than 300 people. It hosts frequent Zoom meetings with several dozen entertainment professionals to talk strategy. He has noticed an increase in Hollywood Democrats asking how they can increase their political engagement over the last few months. “It’s a very small number of people who are freaked out and more numbers of people like, ‘How can I help?’” said Tillman. While established movie stars and industry titans will be front and center at next week’s Biden fundraiser, a more youthful face of Hollywood has enlisted in the effort to shore up the president’s sagging support among young voters. In one example, Lexi Underwood, a 20-year-old actor known for her role in “ Little Fires Everywhere,” recently worked with the Biden campaign to register voters in Nevada, where the president is trailing in the polls. And a new Biden-allied super PAC is leaning on millennial and Gen Z writers, directors and producers to help create content designed to pitch the oldest American president in history to hard-to-reach voters under 30 years old. The Biden campaign declined to provide further details about its starry upcoming fundraiser. Charles Lutvak, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, said they are working with a “wide range of trusted messengers” to reach voters. Cass suggests star power could matter more in 2024 than ever because of celebrities’ increased online influence and ability to connect with individuals virtually. “The people you’re trying to persuade,” she said, “are not reading the news, or are reading the news less, are on social more, and they’re really hard to reach.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com. Or contact tonight’s author on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @emmymrtin.
| 
