Kirstie Alley's Controversial Relationship With Donald Trump Explained

Kirstie Alley's endorsement of Donald Trump, while he was initially running for president, was complicated, to say the least. The "Cheers" star went back and forth in her support of the political candidate over the years. In April 2016, Alley tweeted: "HELLO BOYS! this is my formal endorsement of @realDonaldTrump & I'm a woman! (last I checked) And Rudy, U R amazing!" Trump's then fixer Michael Cohen encouraged Alley's support by responding: "Welcome aboard the #TrumpTrain." 

Unsurprisingly, the "Drop Dead Gorgeous" star didn't get a very positive response from her legions of fans. One Twitter user commented: "@kirstiealley @jaketapper Please say this is an April Fools Day joke." Another tweeted: "@kirstiealley delete your account," while a third posited: "New York values or Hollywood values? Trump is the most negative person I have ever seen." Alley got a ton of grief on social media for supporting Trump, and it seems she eventually grew tired of all the negativity.

Us Weekly confirmed that Teresa Giudice, Ted Nugent, and Gary Busey all voted for Trump in 2016, among others. But, as the election drew closer, Alley backed away from her full-throated endorsement. Responding to a Twitter meme about a mama bear getting her babies with a ladder, Alley shared her position by writing: "I hate this election and I'm officially no longer endorsing either candidate." The actor commented on the bear meme by adding, "I'm voting for the woman with the ladder."