Susan Sarandon has come under fire after supporting a political activist and podcaster, who is a vocal critic of former Vice President Joe Biden‘s presidential campaign and the Democratic Party.
The actress was met with intense pushback on social media after she tweeted support Ryan Knight and for those voting against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the fast-approaching November election.
“Standing by @ProudSocialist and respect his courage in sharing his journey over the past few years,” the “Thelma & Louise” star wrote on Tuesday. “We need more Ryan Knights to stand up and speak truth to power every single day.”
DEBRA MESSING SLAMS SUSAN SARANDON (AGAIN!) OVER BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORT
Sarandon, 73, issued her response to Knight after he revealed in a slew of tweets on Monday his regret for casting his Hillary Clinton vote in 2016.
“I regret my vote for @HillaryClinton, but I will not regret my vote for @JoeBiden because I am not voting him,” Knight began. “I will never vote for a corporatist again. We live in a dying world that is being consumed by corporate greed and I won’t support evil in any form not even a lesser one.”
SUSAN SARANDON, A SANDERS BACKER, TWEETS IN SUPPORT OF BIDEN’S SEXUAL ASSAULT ACCUSER
He maintained in a subsequent tweet: “It’d be one thing if the Democratic party asked us to hold our nose and vote for the ‘lesser of 2 evils’ for 1 or 2 elections, but they’ve been doing this for the last 50 years and at some point brave people have to stand up and DEMAND BETTER or nothing will fundamentally change.”
Knight hit send on a fourth tweet after he said he combed through replies filled with “so much hate and intolerance” from detractors.
“I will never look at liberals the same way again after reading these replies,” he wrote. “Trump has turned you all into scared, fearful, and hateful people. I live in California. Our state won’t decide the election. Learn how the electoral college works. I’m voting Green because Biden sucks.”
Sarandon’s endorsement of Knight’s perspective quickly drew criticism from those who felt the “Bull Durham” actress should have kept her remarks to herself.
SUSAN SARANDON SUFFERS CONCUSSION AFTER DRAMATIC FALL, SHARES PHOTOS OF OTHER INJURIES
“If you have gone through these last 3 and a half years and still haven’t learned that there were consequences to stupidity like this, I don’t know what to tell you,” replied one Twitter user.
“Your privilege is showing,” chimed another.
Some cooler heads also issued their takes on the matter.
“Susan Sarandon is entitled to her own opinions. But encouraging people not to vote carries consequences for poor people who aren’t rich like her,” one user replied. “There were many Socialist candidates including Bernie Sanders, who lost their primaries. Clearly, the voters don’t approve.”
After the backlash, Sarandon tweeted that she will be backing Biden solely for the 2020 election “as a vote against fascism.”
Then following the election, she “will do everything” in her “power to help create a People’s Party” which will be “free from corporate and Wall Street influence … So that next time it’s not a choice between the lesser of two evils.”
SUSAN SARANDON APPEARS TO TAKE SHOT AT WARREN DURING SANDERS EVENT
In April, Sarandon, who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders, also tweeted in support of Joe Biden’s alleged sexual assault accuser, which many suggested was her way of declaring the former vice president was unfit for the Democratic presidential nomination.
>>>details