Hollywood cheers Midterms ‘Blue Tsunami’ as Mandy Moore, Jimmy Kimmel lead celebrations
Many celebrities had earlier shared several posts urging fans to vote
Much of Hollywood greeted Tuesday's midterm results with relief as Democrats posted significant gains against President Donald Trump, his policies and the candidates he backed.
By 9 pm. Pacific, Democrats were projected to win majorities in both the House and the Senate. The party also flipped governorships in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio and Texas.
Many in the entertainment industry had spent the final days of the campaign urging fans to vote. Once results came in, the reaction was largely celebratory.
Late-night reaction
None of the major late-night programs aired live on election night, but Jimmy Kimmel Live! reportedly taped later than usual so its host could address early returns. That made Kimmel the first late-night host to comment on the results.
Kimmel opened with a joke about the president's recent comments on public figures' appearances, quipping that Trump had now been handed a defeat of his own.
Noting that Democrats had taken the House, he added, "The blue wave made landfall, and now the Red Wedding begins," a reference to the Game of Thrones episode.
He also referred to Trump spending the day watching Fox News coverage of the returns.
Reactions on social media
Other figures from film and television responded online.
Actor John Leguizamo posted an extended video celebrating the results.
Actor Wendell Pierce described the moment as a new Reconstruction era. He listed milestones including the first Black House Speaker, the first Black woman governor, three Black women senators, four Black governors serving at once, the first Latina governor, and the first Muslim senator.
Film distributor Janus Films also weighed in, posting "Election Day won." Mandy Moore posted a series of photos, celebrating each win, saying that she 'hadn't felt this degree of hope in so long' and 'it keeps getting better and better'.
Earlier in the day, Pedro Pascal, Olivia Rodrigo, Dave Bautista, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Bruce Springsteen and Samuel L. Jackson were among the celebrities who used social media to encourage fans to vote.
Key races
Several outcomes were of particular interest to entertainment-industry donors:
Texas: James Talarico, who drew growing support from Hollywood donors as his polling improved, won his Senate race.
Maine: Troy Jackson defeated Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
California: Xavier Becerra was elected governor.
Trump, meanwhile, posted on Truth Social during the evening, criticizing Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov and, later, the network's voter polling.
What comes next
The new Congress will be sworn in in January, and debate over the Democratic majority's priorities is still ahead. Other late-night hosts are expected to address the results in tonight's broadcasts.
