Pete Buttigieg has added another famous name to his long list of celebrity backers, with Kevin Costner endorsing the Democratic hopeful at a campaign stop in Iowa on Sunday.
Costner, 64, took to the stage in front of dozens of prospective voters in Indianola to introduce Buttigieg, 37, who is currently leading polls in the Midwestern state.
The Dances With Wolves star gushed over the South Bend mayor, stating: ‘Pete won’t compete to be the loudest. I don’t see his arms flapping. His silences are those of someone who can wait until he has something worked out in his mind to speak.’
He added: ‘The person who speaks for me is also going to be someone who listens too—I’ve found Pete to be that way… I see Pete as a man of his moment, and maybe of his time.’
The celebrity endorsement is perhaps awkward timing for for Buttigieg, who has just come under fire from his primary competitor Elizabeth Warren after she accused him of schmoozing with rich and famous voters.
‘Mayor Pete just recently had a fundraiser that was held in a wine cave full of crystals and served $900-a-bottle wine,’ Warren railed at the Democratic Debate on Thursday night.
Pete Buttigieg has added another famous name to his long list of celebrity backers with Kevin Costner endorsing the Democratic hopeful at a campaign stop in Iowa on Sunday
‘I see Pete as a man of his moment, and maybe of his time,’ Costner cooed
She continued: ‘Think about who comes to that. He had promised that every fundraiser he would do would be open door, but this one was closed door… Billionaires in wine caves should not pick the next president of the United States!’
Buttigieg has received donations from a number of high powered celebrities.
According to New York magazine, Anna Wintour , Mandy Moore, Tom Ford Kevin Bacon Michael J. Fox, Frances McDormand, John Stamos, Jennifer Aniston, Caroline Kennedy and Sharon Stone have all made donations to his campaign.
But while Buttigieg has a number of famous faces in his corner, Bernie Sanders also managed to pull powerhouse names to his rally in Venice Beach, Los Angeles on Saturday.
Buttigieg is pictured embracing Hollywood star Kevin Costner at the campaign stop
The Dances With Wolves star was making his political allegiances known on Sunday
Oscar-winner Tim Robbins, who was previously in a long-term relationship with fellow Sanders fan Susan Sarandon, took to the stage at the event
Danny DeVito and Willow Smith were also among the attendees, according to multiple reports.
DeVito also endorsed Sanders back in 2016.
And while Warren might spruik her support with ordinary voters and donors, she too has a number of Hollywood fans.
‘Amy Schumer, Rosie O’Donnell, Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds, Bette Midler, and Shonda Rhimes have all supported Elizabeth Warren’ with financial donations, New York magazine reports.
Bernie Sanders also managed to pull powerhouse names to his rally in Venice Beach, Los Angeles on Saturday
Oscar-winner Tim Robbins, who was previously in a long-term relationship with fellow Sanders fan Susan Sarandon, took to the stage at the event on Saturday
Meanwhile, at on Saturday, Sanders hit out at Buttigieg, stating: ‘We don’t go to rich people’s wine caves!
Ocasio-Cortez’s attack was more subtle, as she explained why she was OK with there being ‘purity tests,’ a line Buttigieg used at Thursday’s Los Angeles debate, as he complained that he was the only candidate onstage who wasn’t a millionaire or more, and needed all the help he could get with money to sustain a campaign.
‘Anyone who accuses us of instituting purity tests, it’s called having values, it’s called giving a damn,’ Ocasio-Cortez said.
‘Let me tell you something,’ the freshman Democratic congresswoman from New York went on. ‘I go to work all the time and I hear people say, ‘what will my donors think?’ I hear that phrase. And I hear and I see that billionaires get members of Congress on speed dial and waitresses don’t.’
Sen. Bernie Sanders (left) joined hands with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (right) after she spoke Saturday at a Venice Beach rally in California
Danny DeVito is pictured on stage with Bernie Sanders back in 2016