- Music
- 09 Apr 20
The senator stepped down from the 2020 race yesterday. He had become a frontrunner in the Democratic nomination contest earlier this year.
Over the course of his campaign, Sanders, 78, garnered a number of celebrity endorsements, such as The Strokes, Ariana Grande, Public Enemy and Cardi B, with some having performed at rallies or on live-streamed events.
Many of the democratic socialist’s high-profile supporters took to social media to express their hurt over Sanders shuttering his campaign.
Among the first to react to today’s news was former Sonic Youth singer Kim Gordon, who last month endorsed Sanders by taking part in a bizarre mock baking tutorial.
“Thank you @BernieSanders for putting great ideas above politics and having the courage to stand by them! And Actually meaning what you say! You brought meaning to politics!” Gordon wrote on Twitter.
Thank you @BernieSanders for putting great ideas above politics and having the courage to stand by them ! And Actually meaning what you say ! You brought meaning to politics!
— Kim Gordon (@KimletGordon) April 8, 2020
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Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig kept it short and simple by saying: "I don’t feel bad for Bernie. He’s the “not me, us” guy. I feel bad for...us. All of us."
I don’t feel bad for Bernie. He’s the “not me, us” guy. I feel bad for...us. All of us.
— Ezra Koenig (@arzE) April 8, 2020
Indie singer- songwriter Lucy Dacus also gave her thanks, posting on Twitter: “I’m proud to have supported Bernie and to continue to learn from him through the work he has always done and will continue to do to benefit the voiceless and marginalised.”
I'm proud to have supported Bernie and to continue to learn from him through the work he has always done and will continue to do to benefit the voiceless and marginalized.
Thank you, @BernieSanders
— Lucy Dacus (@lucydacus) April 8, 2020
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"Bernie will always be the man," rapper Kid Cudi wrote on Twitter. Sarah Silverman, who met her "nephew" Cudi for the first time at a Sanders LA rally last month, also wrote down her own goodbye message, writing, "Wow. I’m heartbroken about Bernie. In all this darkness, he made me believe that people, together, could be the light. He continues to be an inspiration. And he’ll never stop fighting for us. Thank you, Bernie. For me, you’re right up there w Mr. Rogers."
Bernie will always be the man
— The Chosen One (@KidCudi) April 8, 2020
Other musicians have voiced their dejection on Twitter below.
Goodbye Bernie 💔 gonna nurture and water all those beautiful seeds your authenticity planted
— Weyes Blood (@WeyesBlood) April 8, 2020
sorta fitting that Bernie Sanders suspends his campaign on Passover, when we reflect on past struggles, rest from them, and pledge ourselves to them once more. will be raising a glass at the (virtual) seder table tonight. we go on.
— Sarah Jaffe (@sarahljaffe) April 8, 2020
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Explaining that his decision had been “very difficult and painful” to make, Sanders said: “If I believed we had a feasible path to the nomination, I would certainly continue.”
He went on to discuss how the campaign had “transformed American consciousness as to what kind of nation we can become and have taken this country a major step forward in the never-ending struggle for economic justice, social justice, racial justice and environmental justice.”
Over the weekend, Justin Vernon debuted a new Bon Iver song during Bernie Sanders’ live-streamed “virtual town hall” event. Also performing in the broadcast was Soccer Mommy.
Earlier in the year, The Strokes played at Sanders’ rally in Durham, New Hampshire, where they debuted two then-unreleased songs. Julian Casablancas and co. later put their range of Bernie Sanders T-shirts on sale to the public.