Meryl Streep and 22 Other Celebrities Who Didn't Hold Back While Talking About Donald Trump

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar for its February issue, the music icon likened the election to the worst breakup of her life. "On election night I was sitting at a table with my agent, who is also one of my very best friends, and we were truly praying . . . It was just like watching a horror show," she said. "I went to sleep, and since that night, I wake up every morning and it's like when you break up with somebody who has really broken your heart. You wake up and for a second you're just you, and then you go, 'Oh, the person I love more than anything has just broken my heart, and I'm devastated and I'm broken and I have nothing. I'm lost.' That's how I feel every morning. I wake up and I go, 'Wait a second. Donald Trump is the president. It's not a bad dream. It really happened.' It's like being dumped by a lover and also being stuck in a nightmare."

The Scandal creator delivered a powerful acceptance speech at the International Emmy Awards in November, where she discussed how the election has caused her to reevaluate how she wields her influence. "I don’t often think about it, because I have not had to. People have asked me about diversity, and I chastised them,” she said, never mentioning the president-elect by name. “They’ve asked me about legacy, and I ignored them. They have talked to me about influence, and I changed the subject. A lot of people right now are scared here. They’re nervous and they’re worried: people of color, any woman who values her body and her choices, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Muslims, people with disabilities. They’re afraid that their voices will no longer be heard, and they believe that they’re gonna be silenced.

“So I never [really thought] about it, but now I’m really thinking about it: how big a reach television has, how it’s the most powerful source of communication and the world, how you see our faces and tell our stories and you care," she concluded. “We hope; you hope. We dream; you dream. We fall; you fall. Three million viewers in 67 countries. Words have power. TV has power. My pen has power. I’m thinking about that."

Trump supporters were up in arms after reading Michael Shannon's divisive interview with Metro News. "There’s a lot of old people who need to realize they’ve had a nice life, and it’s time for them to move on, because they’re the ones who go out and vote for these a**holes," he said. "If you look at the young people, between 18 and 25, if it was up to them, Hillary would have been president. No offense to the seniors out there. My mom’s a senior citizen. But if you’re voting for Trump, it’s time for the urn.” Then he addressed millennials whose parents might have voted Republican by telling them, "F*ck ’em. You’re an orphan now.”

In a press release for the Women’s March on Washington in January, Artist Table Chair America Ferrera shared an inspiring sentiment for women all over the country:

"Since the election, so many fear that their voices will go unheard,. As artists, women, and most importantly dedicated Americans, it is critical that we stand together in solidarity for the protection, dignity and rights of our communities. Immigrant rights, worker rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA rights, racial justice and environmental rights are not special interests, they affect us all and should be every American's concern."

"Hillary voters: Trump voters aren't all racist misogynistic bullies at heart . . . they wanted change, and didn't think Hillary was capable," the Dawson's Creek star tweeted after the election. "America didn't find Trump's flaws fatal for a prez, but can we now all at least admit they're flaws and work together to keep him in check? Trump voters: in his victory, can we all take a breath and acknowledge the racism, misogyny, & bullying we all find unacceptable?"

The award-winning La La Land star didn't mince words about Hillary Clinton's loss while attending this year’s Governors Awards, calling it “incredibly painful." Emma further said that the country's current situation now needs to serve as “a wake-up call and chance for us to all unite and do the very, very best we can to speak out and be brave.”

The Harry Potter author made her opinion clear when a fan compared Donald Trump to Voldemort. "How horrible," she tweeted. "Voldemort was nowhere near as bad."

In the weeks leading up to election day, Jesse Williams released a video about the importance of voting. After the results came in, he took to Twitter to air his grievances. "Tradition over truth, arrogance over info, Fame over decency, white male power over, everything. Being horrible is a culture. #ElectionNight”

"America didn't stop being America last night and we didn't stop being Americans and here's the thing about Americans: our darkest days have always — always — been followed by our finest hours," Aaron Sorkin wrote in a Vanity Fair essay for his daughter.

The morning after the election, the outspoken Birth of a Nation actress reached out to her Twitter followers. "I am scared,” she tweeted. "I will fight. Trump will not crush my spirit. Hope fuels the fire in my belly to seek the change I want to see in this country."

Along with an Instagram photo of her holding up a "Love Trumps Hate" sign in front of Trump Tower, Lady Gaga wrote, "I want to live in a #CountryOfKindness #LoveTrumpsHate He divided us so carelessly. Let’s take care now of each other." That same night she tweeted, “The chaos in USA is the result of Trump's irresponsible campaigning. He is not a role model, look at this mess he created,” and asked the media to lift up “the voices of half of USA who are in fear of their liberties and safety because of his divisive campaigning."

John Legend filled his diverse music video for "Love Me Now" with uplifting images of refugees, same-sex couples, immigrant families, and minorities as a direct response to the country's rising climate of hate. That same day, he appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher to discuss the election, which ended in a fierce disagreement between John and CNN commentator David Axelrod, who said Donald Trump isn't a racist. "It’s irrelevant," the singer told him. “What he’s saying is causing racial violence.”

In the aftermath of the election, Jennifer Lawrence sounded off via Vice's Broadly blog in the form of a heartfelt personal essay. "Is this the stark reality?" she asks. "It doesn't matter how hard you work or how qualified you are, at the end of the day, you're not a man? Is that what we just learned? This country was founded on immigration and today the only people that feel safe, that their rights are recognized and respected are white men." The Passengers actress made sure to end the post with a feeling of hope.

"If you're a woman and you're worried that no matter how hard you work or how much you learn, there will always be a glass ceiling, then I don't really know what to say. I don't know what I would tell my daughter if I were you. Except to have hope. To work for the future," she said. "Do not let this defeat you — let this enrage you! Let it motivate you! Let this be the fire you didn't have before. If you are an immigrant, if you are a person of color, if you are LGBTQ+, if you are a woman — don't be afraid, be loud!"

The comedian sat down with Conan O'Brien dressed as Adolf Hitler to mock the comparisons being drawn between him and Donald Trump. "Don't get me wrong Conan, I agree with a lot he says," she said, in character. "A lot. Like 90 percent of what he says, I'm like, 'This guy gets it.'" After the election, she tweeted out a popular Anne Frank quote: "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."

Along with Samantha Bee, Seth Meyers has been leading the pack of late night hosts when it comes to getting real about Donald Trump. After the election, he mixed his trademark honesty with a twinge of hope for the future. "I am hopeful for President Trump, because hope is always the best possible path to take. And one thing that makes me hopeful is we know from interviews he’s given over the years that he has, at any given point, held every position on every issue,” he joked. “So I’m hopeful that he’s not actually a racist, and that he just used racist rhetoric to court voters. Because when you’re courting someone, you’re always willing to pretend you’re something you’re not. For example, when you first start dating someone, you’ll agree to go apple picking.”

In a video in support of Hillary Clinton, Taraji P. Henson and her Empire costars spoke out. "What will I tell my son? What will you tell your daughter? What will we tell the future generation?" she said. "The violence and nasty rhetoric against mankind is unacceptable."

Amanda Seyfried used an Instagram caption as a way to inspire her followers. "What do we do? We organize. We mobilize. We go local. We hold our line. And we do it with our eyes wide open. Complacency is dead. My neighbor is my neighbor, not my enemy."

Before election day, Arnold Schwarzenegger released a statement about who he'd be voting for, and implored his fellow Republicans to do the same. "As proud as I am to label myself a Republican, there is one label I hold above all else -- American," he said. "So I want to take a moment today to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your party -- it is your duty."

Although he wasn't able to stop Donald Trump from becoming president, he did end up taking over hosting The Apprentice. This didn't sit well with the former host, who carved time out of his busy schedule as the president-elect to try to start a Twitter feud with Arnold. The Terminator star quickly shut him down, writing, "I wish you the best of luck and I hope you'll work for ALL of the American people as aggressively as you worked for your ratings."

It should come as no surprise that Lena Dunham had something to say about the election results, given the Girls creator was one of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters throughout the campaign cycle. "Wednesday was a day of mourning. Thursday, too. Hell, I’m giving us till Sunday," she wrote after the election in her Lenny newsletter. "But then we fight. The work isn’t done. It is only beginning. We will stun ourselves with what we are capable of.”

The Full Frontal with Samantha Bee host had a fantastic message for Americans after the election: nasty women aren't going anywhere. "If Ms. Rodham's not in the White House, that's OK — one of those girls is going to be," she said. "We still have millions of nasty women who aren't going away, and as long as women over 25 are still allowed on television, I'll be here cheering them on."

The Modern Family actor had a message for anyone who looked at the Republican win as a triumph for bullies: "I've dealt with bullies my whole life. I've been called terrible things. I've only come out stronger. I got this. We've got this."

Perhaps the most damning takedown of the president-elect's behavior came from Meryl Streep at the Golden Globe Awards. She used her acceptance speech as a platform to highlight the overwhelming importance of diversity not only in Hollywood but also in America in general. "Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners, and if you kick us all out, you'll have nothing to watch except for football and mixed martial arts, which are not arts," she tearfully said, before calling out Trump for mocking a reporter with a disability at a rally earlier last year.

"There was nothing good about it, but it did its job," she said of the incident. "It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie; it was in real life. That instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same." She finished off her lengthy, impassioned speech with a sentiment that we'd all do well to remember over the next four years. "Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence," she said, before quoting late friend Carrie Fisher. "Take your broken heart, make it into art."

Related:

Guess Which Bitter Reality Star Called Meryl Streep the "Most Over-Rated Actress in Hollywood"?

Robert De Niro has been outspoken about his distaste for a Trump presidency for months now, going so far as to say he would punch the president-elect in the face if given the chance. After Meryl's Golden Globes speech, he wrote a heartfelt letter thanking her for taking a stand:

"Meryl —

What you said was great. It needed to be said, and you said it beautifully. I have so much respect for you that you did it while the world was celebrating your achievements. I share your sentiments about punks and bullies. Enough is enough. You, with your elegance and intelligence, have a powerful voice — one that inspires others to speak up as they should so their voices will be heard too. It is so important that we ALL speak up.

We love you.

Bob"