Susan Sarandon has said she will vote for Joe Biden in the forthcoming US presidential election, despite being a vocal critic of the Democratic candidate.
The Thelma and Louise star described the vote as “a vote against fascism”, while insisting she will continue to push for a third party in the years to come.
Sarandon was met with some criticism on social media after tweeting in support of activist and podcaster Ryan Knight, who had declared he was unwilling to vote for Biden, whom he described as a “corporatist”.
“We live in a dying world that is being consumed by corporate greed and I won’t support evil in any form not even a lesser one,” he wrote, in one of a string of tweets.
He also described his disappointment and regret in voting for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Sarandon then posted her support for Knight, saying that she was “standing by” him and that she “respect[s] his courage in sharing his journey over the past few years”.
When some people interpreted this as a suggestion that Sarandon was advocating not voting for the Democratic party — as she had done in 2016 — she clarified her position.
“The energy used to shame people should be put into phone banking & whatever else will build enthusiasm for Biden’s presidency. I will be voting for Biden as a vote against fascism,” she revealed.
Sarandon continued: “[I] then will do everything in my power to help create a People’s Party (@4aPeoplesParty) free from corporate and Wall Street influence, so that next time it’s not a choice between the lesser of two evils.”
The actor had been a vocal supporter of socialist Bernie Sanders, who lost the Democratic primary to Biden, the former vice president who is widely considered the “establishment” candidate.
