Former "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee isn’t breaking into song over the fact that Bernie Sanders has entered the 2020 presidential race. Instead, the 34-year-old star made her feelings known that the senator from Vermont should call it quits.
"Somebody tell a certain *bro* running that sometimes you need to accept your runner up status and move on," McPhee said in a tweet Tuesday that has drawn widespread attention, and is a thinly disguised swipe at Sanders. "I’d know," she added, referring to her own second place finish on season five of "American Idol" and cracking a nod to Sanders' "runner up" status to Hilary Clinton in 2016, The Daily Mail reported
McPhee's public swipe at Sanders came after he announced entering the 2020 presidential race earlier this week. Other celebrities were quick to comment on the news. "Late Night" host Stephen Colbert addressed the topic on Tuesday's "Late Show," stating that Sanders did not fare well against his Democratic competitors.
"The field is also way more diverse this time with multiple women, people of color, the first openly gay major party presidential candidate, but for all that diversity, Bernie Sanders does not believe that hurts his chances," Colbert said, according to Fox News, before launching into an impersonation of the 77-year-old.
"Yes, like Dr. King, I have a dream. A dream where this diverse nation can come together and be led by an old white guy," he joked.
While social media was buzzing with speculation on whether or not Sanders should exit the race, news emerged that he had raised $5.9 million from 223,000 donors in the first 24 hours of his 2020 presidential campaign, according to CNBC.
"Sanders demonstrated a level of grassroots support of unprecedented size and excitement, signaling the strength of the movement set on winning the Democratic nomination, defeating Donald Trump and creating a government that works for all Americans," his campaign said in a statement Wednesday announcing his first-day fundraising numbers.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.