The most prominent American movie and television stars used to live in Washington, DC, to influence lawmakers, visit the White House, promote their political films and attend television programs, but they had left the city during the era of former US President Donald Trump.

In a report published by the American newspaper "TheHill", writer Judy Kurtz says that these celebrities, after they fled Washington during the era of the former president, may soon return to the capital again with the arrival of the new administration.

And confirms public relations and public relations expert Barbara Martin, who lives in Washington for a long time, that first-row celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey, who used to visit the White House frequently during the Obama era, or Julia Dreyfus, the heroine of the series "Vice President", or Ben Affleck, who introduced Testimony before Congress in 2014 about the situation in the Congo, they left Washington long before the Corona pandemic, specifically since Trump assumed the position of President of the United States.

Oprah Winfrey was close to the White House during the Obama era (French)

Trump and celebrities

According to the author, left-leaning Hollywood celebrities have missed the most prominent events in Washington DC during the Trump era, such as the annual dinner hosted by the White House Correspondents Association.

A number of sports stars, including Women's World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, American soccer star Muki Bates and baseball player Sean Doolittle, also rejected calls from the White House to celebrate their achievements.

In return, Trump honored some of those close to him, awarding the National Medal of Arts to the hero of the movie "Salvation" John Voight in 2019, and awarding golfer Tiger Woods the Medal of Freedom in the same year.

Other celebrities to visit the Trump White House include singer and guitarist Ted Nugent, and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

"There were only a few people who agreed with Trump, like rappers, country music, and some athletes," says Amy Brie Baker, an assistant professor at Loyola University, Maryland. "It was difficult for Trump to find a song he could use in his rallies without problems." ".

And Barbara Martin believes that "the period of estrangement between celebrities and Washington is due to the behavior and direction of the president. The president determines the way of life in the city in many respects," and for this reason, the actors are most likely planning to return to the capital during the Biden era.

Mark Harvey, director of graduate programs at St. Mary's University in Kansas, confirms that celebrities have made gains under Trump that may outweigh what they have achieved in the past, despite their rare appearances in the White House.

And in 2018, Trump issued a blanket amnesty to superstar Alice Mary Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering, after reality TV star Kim Kardashian visited the White Office.

"I think it was relatively easy for Kim Kardashian or Kanye West or anyone else to convince Trump to make some decisions," Harvey says.

Is the capital changing during the Biden era?

"When Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez sing at the inauguration, it can be said that the gates of the capital have been reopened for celebrities," Harvey says, speaking of the next stage.

Tommy McFly, a radio presenter, expects Washington, DC, to regain its glory during Biden's presidency, after a period of relative estrangement that lasted 4 years between "celebrities and the White House".

Some critics argue that Hollywood heavyweight stars should care more about their work than focus on politics, but Harvey believes that given the frustration of the American people with politicians, some celebrities are trying to bridge the gap somewhat.

Harvey believes that an intelligent politician "can employ celebrities to serve his political agenda in this highly polarized environment."