George Clooney, Melinda French Gates headline celebrity rush to Harris

Context: Clooney, a longtime Democratic fundraiser, called on President Biden to exit the race following his debate with former President Trump.

• On Tuesday, Clooney told CNN said Biden was "saving democracy" by withdrawing from the race.
• "We're all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest," he said.

The intrigue: French Gates' June endorsement of Biden was her first ever presidential endorsement, but she didn't immediately commit any money to his campaign.

• She celebrated Harris' history of advocating for reproductive rights and uplifting women in her Tuesday endorsement.
• "She has an inspiring vision for America — and she has the experience to make it a reality," French Gates said. "The issues she prioritizes are the ones that matter to voters."

State of play: Harris has also received the support of Barbara Streisand, Spike Lee, Mark Hamill, John Legend, Robert De Niro, Wendell Pierce and Aaron Sorkin, the New York Times reported.

• Bernice King, daughter of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., also threw her support behind Harris in her first ever public political endorsement, Bloomberg reported.

• The majority of Democratic elected officials in Congress and Democratic governors have endorsed Harris, who on Monday night secured enough delegate endorsements to pass the threshold for nomination.

Flashback: Biden's campaign leveraged the money and influence of A-listers, including Clooney and Streisand.

• A record-breaking fundraising event in June featured both of them, as well as Julia Roberts, Jimmy Kimmel and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Go deeper: Inside Kamala Harris' D.C. life