With the election down to the wire, undecided voters are looking to their role models for guidance on who to vote for.
For some, that actually means checking in with their favorite celebrity to see where they stand.
People on both sides of the aisle were pretty sure Steve Harvey was a Republican and a supporter of disgraced former president Donald Trump up until recently.
One damning, resurfaced video showed Harvey singing Trump’s praises. His defenders suggest that they were sarcastic. Others weren’t so convinced.
And then he sat down with Kamala and it felt like all the pieces were falling into place. So, if Steve Harvey’s political opinion means something to you, then this is what you should know.
Is Steve Harvey a Republican and a Trump supporter?
Before we delve into the answers, we have to talk about why people are asking this about Steve Harvey.
2024 is an election year. Despite the criminal charges against him and his defeat in the 2020 elections, Donald Trump is running again. (To be fair, the criminal charges may be a motivator — as Supreme Court Justices whom he appointed could end up deciding whether occupying the Oval Office makes him immune to certain prosecutions.)
Because of this, finding famous supporters of Trump is both elusive and important, depending on who you ask. Enter far-right influencers on social media, who have resurfaced a specific 2017 clip of Steve Harvey. Harvey’s career has made him a familiar face, and whether it’s true or not, a political endorsement from him could hypothetically sway voters.
In the “Ask Steve” clip from 2017, a woman in Steve Harvey’s audience asks him to help convince her husband to move to Sweden. She very memorably refers to the country as “the land of Ikea.”
She cited the appeal of Sweden — universal healthcare, free education, and a statistically long life expectancy. (She’s not wrong; Sweden also ranks very highly in terms of happiness)
As is Steve Harvey’s brand, his initial reaction was to make a silly face. He also cracked a joke about healthcare costs that one incurs from assembling Ikea furniture at home. Then, however, things took a dark turn.
Steve Harvey said some alarming things about Donald Trump
“Donald Trump is not gonna be that bad,” Steve Harvey said on camera in 2017. “Don’t run.”
He then claimed, perhaps in jest: “He’s gonna make Ikea bring they ass over here and start building them desks and stuff in America.”
Worst of all, Harvey then grew louder in volume and cited the campaign slogan: “‘Cause he’s gonna make America great again! Let’s go, Donald Trump.”
As we mentioned, some of Steve Harvey’s defenders have insisted that his words were dripping in sarcasm.
But, clearly, not everyone agrees with that.
From Twitter to Reddit, Steve Harvey’s critics and (former) fans have taken to replies to express their disappointment and disgust.
Really and truly Steve Harvey I’ve been a fan for quite some time but this display of ignorance has completely lost me never again will I ever devote a second of time to your ignorant butt
— ????AriA Blush the Fabulussy???? ???? (@EmpressAriaBlue) March 2, 2024
Steve Harvey’s Shift to The Left
Now, there is a solid argument to be made that any support Steve ever had for Trump is buried in the past, and even if he is a Republican, he stands as one of the courageous few to show their support for Kamala Harris.
Case in point: a week before the election, Steve invited Kamala onto his radio show to sing her praises and hopefully reach some of the undecided folks she so desperately needs.
“You and Governor Walz are fighting for a new way forward,” Steve said to Kamala. “You’re talking about protecting reproductive freedoms for — for women, for strengthening our democracy, and you want every person to have an opportunity to get ahead.”
Knowing his audience well, he followed up his praise with an all too important question.
“Let’s focus on this, that I’ve never seen done in my life, you came up with a real plan to help Black Americans…specifically, you targeted African American men. I’ve never seen that in a — can you go over some of the points?”
Kamala’s answered with this:
“First of all, let me just tell you that I understand that — listen, I’m going to be and I — and I pledge to be a president for all Americans, but not all people have been affected by issues the same way. So, for example, in my agenda for Black men, it includes what we need to do around having a specific initiative that is about Black men’s health because I know that we have higher rates of colon cancer and prostate cancer, and I want to make sure we’re increasing education and screening for Black men, doing — understanding that sickle cell affects Black men at a higher rate.”
Then, she got even more specific.
“My plan is about knowing that Black families are 40 percent less likely to be homeowners. So, I’m going to make sure that we have $25,000 down payment assistance for first-time home buyers so they can just get their foot in the door and get on the path to living the dream of America, the American dream, which also is about being on the path to creating intergenerational wealth.”
And all of this really impressed Steve Harvey.
“As I’ve done my research, you know, and I really, really watched what you’ve been about and what you’ve done, I — I became more and more impressed, so has a lot of people, because it really came to the forefront. You know, when a lot of people were talking about, “Wow, I misunderstood this about her,” because, now, people have had a chance to do the research.”
And there it is. Maybe Steve is just one of the few to actually stand behind the line of “doing your own research” and getting behind a candidate that will look out for the many, not just the few.