Celebs React To The Midterm Election Results

Since Donald Trump's improbable election in 2016, many celebrities have become political activists. Whether it be the Women's March, March For Our Lives or Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court, stars of the entertainment industry are using their platforms and voices to inform their fans on all things American politics. 

So when it was time for the 2018 midterm elections, celebrities were ready to ride the blue wave. Oprah Winfrey campaigned for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Beyonce endorsed Texas' Beto O'Rourke for Senate. Diddy headlined a rally for Florida gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Gillum.

However, the formidable blue wave didn't come as expected. Although Democrats gained control of the House of Representatives, Republicans picked up valuable seats in the Senate. "This is heartbreaking," CNN's Van Jones said on-air. "It is not a blue wave, but it is still a blue war." Here are a few of the celebrity reactions to the midterm election results.

The Democratic party taking back the House of Representatives got film and television actor Josh Gad hyped. "Looks like Dems will take the house! Do not let all of the other noise tonight deflate you. We finally have a check on the President. Tonight is a win for democracy. Oh and...#Beto2020," the Frozen star tweeted.

That excited subsided when he turned his attention to Florida, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum lost in a surprisingly tight race. "Great night, but to my home state of FL, you turned your backs on the students of Parkland, you turned your back on those who offered hope, and you elected two men who literally do not believe in climate change which is essentially like signing your state's death sentence. Why?" he tweeted.

However, he ended his midterm commentary on a hopeful note to his fans. "To all of those who worked so unbelievably hard to make sure we finally had checks & balances in our country again, a sincere thank u tonight," the Beauty and The Beast star tweeted, adding, "I am constantly amazed by all of those who are rolling up their sleeves & doing everything that they can do to combat this chaos. [Love] u." 

Taylor Swift broke her career-long political silence in October 2018 when she endorsed Democratic candidate and former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen over his opponent, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn in the state's senate race. "As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn," Swift wrote on Instagram. "I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives."

On October 30, the singer posted, "These two Tennessee women voted for the candidate who has proven himself to be reasonable and trustworthy. We want leadership, not fear-based extremism. Early voting goes til Thursday and Election Day is November 6. Please don't sit this one out," accompanied with a photo her standing in front of a Bredesen campaign sign.

Unfortunately for Swift, Marsha Blackburn bested Bredesen at the polls and won the Senate seat. Fox News host Laura Ingraham couldn't help mocking Swift with her signature song. "Hey @taylorswift13, haters gonna hate. #shakeitoff," she tweeted.

Legendary newsman Dan Rather always brings a reasoned take to any political event. The 2018 midterms results were no different. In fact, his predictions for the electoral evening were spot on. "Democrats Win Control of House... Republicans Increase Control of Senate... Democrats Pick Up Some Key Governorships," he tweeted, adding, "Each side gets something to cheer. The country remains deeply divided. Trump wounded but retains loyal base." 

Although Democratic voters in Florida and Texas were disappointed in their high-profile races, Rather offered a glimmer of hope. "I think with a lot of high hopes crashing for Democratic voters in places like Florida and with Beto, there is maybe a drastic underappreciation of how Democratic control of the House will change the course of this country. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a very big deal," he explained.

Rather also pointed out how demographics on the traditional electoral map are changing, citing how "Colorado was once a pretty solid red state, but now just elected an openly gay Democrat — Jared Polis — as governor." Anyone else miss that guy behind the anchor desk? 

Comedian and American Horror Story star Billy Eichner was excited about midterm results. "Fellow Democrats, this is great news. We needed this and we fought really hard for this. There were some tough losses for sure, but this is GREAT news. Let's be happy for 5 minutes. And let's continue to work hard," he tweeted.

Eichner also showed a lot of love for Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic Texas senate challenger to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. Though O'Rourke eventually lost despite a close race, Eichner beamed with pride for his candidate nonetheless, tweeting, "BETO, WE LOVE YOU. YOU'RE A SUPERSTAR. NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING!!!!" 

The rest of the evening, Eichner congratulated two historic wins during election night. "Congratulations @sharicedavids, an openly gay Native American woman who just flipped a seat blue in KANSAS!!!" he tweeted. "Wow!! Congratulations @jaredpolis of Colorado who just became the first openly gay man to be elected Governor in US History!!!" he also celebrated.

With his work on criminal justice reform and social justice, singer John Legend isn't shy about his political activism. Naturally, the EGOT was happy Democrats took control of the House. "People worked so hard around the country. Many voted who had never voted in the midterms. That was due to organizing and tenacity. I'm grateful for everyone's sacrifice," he tweeted. "Flipping the house despite all the gerrymandering was no small feat. Despite it being expected by the polls, this is still a BFD. The House has so much power to hold the president accountable. I look forward to some real oversight," he continued in the thread.

Due to his work in criminal justice reform, Legend was particularly pleased with the passing of Florida Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to 1.4 million felons. "I spent some time in Florida campaigning for this amendment. I was inspired by the grass roots efforts and the beautiful bipartisan coalition that worked for its passage. I'm so happy this amendment passed," he tweeted. "This wasn't a red vs blue question. It was about doing the right thing by allowing people who've paid their debt to society to participate in the elections that affect them and everyone else," he continued.

Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, brought the jokes, of course. "Democrats were hoping for major midterm magic and they got it in the House. President Trump is reportedly already blaming Paul Ryan. He is so disappointed in the Speaker of The House, he might start calling him 'Don Jr.,'" the show tweeted.

The comedian also gave his fans a way to deal with Ted Cruz. Not that anyone should actually do this in real life. "Ted Cruz sadly did manage to keep his seat. The only way to get rid of Ted Cruz is to pour salt on him when he crawls onto your driveway," he tweeted.

The Ted Cruz digs kept coming, this time with the Kimmel comparing the Texas Senator to the undead. "Beto O'Rourke is 46. Ted Cruz is 47. He's one year older. Ted Cruz is the only vampire that ages faster than a human," he tweeted. Ouch. 

Musical legend and icon of the stage and screen, Bette Midler, took to Twitter to offer support and encouragement to all who voted during the midterms. "Congratulations to everyone who endured discomfort, long lines, broken machines, rain and obstruction to cast their votes and bring some semblance of balance back to our government. WINNERS? DON'T GLOAT, AND DON'T SEEK REVENGE. BE MAGNANIMOUS IN VICTORY," the Grammy award-winner tweeted.

She also weighed in on the Texas Senate race. "SUCK UP!! Here's Lyin' Ted, literally embracing the pig who called his wife a dog. Look at his eyes! Ted's grateful! Guess we know who the dog is, here. #BetoForTexas," the Hocus Pocus star tweeted, accompanied by a photo of Ted Cruz staring longingly at President Trump.

Once news broke that Ted Cruz won his re-election bid, Midler shared that with her followers with a simple word that summed up her thoughts on the matter: "Ugh."  

Actor and rapper Common was busy during the midterm election. He campaigned for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams as well as Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. The day before the midterm elections, he fired up his followers with a call to vote. "We Organize. We Protest. And We Vote. It Doesn't Have To Be An Either/Or Situation," he tweeted.

On Election Day, he urged his followers and fans to change the country with their voices at the ballot box. "#ElectionDay: No Matter the length of the line, the weather or challenges, please stay in line to cast your vote. Your vote matters. This is our Time. Let's make history!" the Hell on Wheels actor tweeted.

He even lent his message in a video for Gillum the day of the election. "If you're in line at your polling location by 7 pm, you're allowed to vote! No matter how long the lines are, stay in line. This election is too important to not vote. Much love, @common, thanks for the support!" Andrew Gillum tweeted along with the video.

Is President Donald Trump a celebrity? Well, he does have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Of course, Trump took to Twitter to share his thoughts. "Those that worked with me in this incredible Midterm Election, embracing certain policies and principles, did very well. Those that did not, say goodbye! Yesterday was such a very Big Win, and all under the pressure of a Nasty and Hostile Media!" he tweeted.

Despite losing the House, Republicans did reasonably well in the Senate. Trump wanted to make sure his Twitter followers knew. "To any of the pundits or talking heads that do not give us proper credit for this great Midterm Election, just remember two words — FAKE NEWS!" he wrote.

Once the dust settled, Trump sent out a warning shot to the new democratically-controlled House. "If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!" he tweeted.

However, he had kind words for Nancy Pelosi. "In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be chosen Speaker of the House by the Democrats. If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will add some Republican votes. She has earned this great honor!" he tweeted. We honestly can't tell if he was trolling or not.