Hip-hop and business mogul Russell Simmons is the latest celebrity to back Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, saying that his "longtime friend" better backs the progressive agenda he cares about.
"After speaking to Bernie Sanders I have decided that he is overstating what he can deliver to underserved communities," Simmons, the CEO of Rush Communications, co-founder of Def Jam Records, clothing line Phat Farm, and several other business interested, posted on
Twitter.
Clinton, meanwhile, "has been nothing but honest and supportive of the progressive agenda that I care about," Simmons said, as part of a series of tweets posted on his
Twitter page Friday.
Simmons also said that he finds Sanders, in part, "insensitive to the plight of black people," a plug that could help Clinton after a video of her being confronted by Black Lives Matter protesters last week in Charleston, South Carolina, went viral.
He
also said that photos of Sanders marching with civil rights leaders were "cool, but:
Further, Simmons said that he believes that
Sanders won't win the election:
Def Jam Records manages some of the most prominent names in the music industry, including Justin Bieber, who the Post points out would be a huge boost for Clinton if he ends up endorsing her and posting to his 60 million Instagram followers.
As the patriarch of Def Jam, Simmons presides over some of the biggest names in the music industry today, including Justin Bieber. And with 60 million Instagram followers, a potential Bieber blessing could help boost Clinton’s popularity with the millennials.
Related Stories:
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.