Taylor Swift has publicly declared her support for Kamala Harris in the race for US presidency. The singer, through a post on Instagram shortly after the presidential debate, labelled the Democratic candidate as a “champion” fighting for the issues she advocates for.
Swift, a voter, takes her civic duties seriously, watching and reading as much as she can. In her message to her 283 million followers shared late on Tuesday, she announced her decision to cast her vote in favour of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential elections.
She commended Harris for being a steadfast and talented leader, expressing her faith that the country could achieve more under stable, orderly leadership. Swift concluded her statement by urging her fans to participate in the democratic process and register their vote.
Swift made it clear that she disagreed with fake, AI-generated images that were disseminated by Donald Trump in August, portraying a false narrative of her and her fans endorsing his bid for presidency. This experience heightened her fears about AI and its potential for spreading inaccuracies, emphasising the need for her to be clear about her real intentions regarding the upcoming elections.
The singer stated that she had watched the US presidential debate between Trump and Harris. She also advised her followers to research thoroughly each candidate’s views on the issues that are important to them.
She ended her statement by referring to herself as a “Childless cat lady,” referencing offensive remarks previously made by Republican vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, about Democratic women in Congress. She accompanied the post with a picture of herself and her cat, Benjamin Button—one of the three she owns.
This was in response to Vance’s derogatory comments made in 2021 to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Vance had insulted senior Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration, calling them “childless cat ladies” who were dissatisfied with their lives and choices, attempting to make the entire country equally miserable.
The backing given by Taylor Swift for Democratic candidates has been overlooked by Trump’s team, with Karoline Leavitt, the campaign’s spokesperson, asserting it as yet more proof that the Democratic Party appears to now attract the affluent upper class. “Many stalwart fans of Swift are Trump supporters within the United States,” stated Leavitt.
Swift has supported Democrats since 2018, including endorsing Joe Biden in 2020. However, she had remained silent on her preferred candidate for the 2024 elections until Tuesday.
When queried regarding Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris on Tuesday, Matt Gaetz, Republican congressman, expressed his admiration for her music, but stated his preference for a society where liberals create the art and conservatives devise the laws and policies.
Swift’s fans had begun to rally around Harris prior to her endorsement. The Swifties for Kamala Coalition was formally initiated in late August and has raised more than $138,000 (€124,904) for the Democratic candidate via a virtual gathering featuring Carole King and senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Tim Walz, running partner of Harris, expressed profound gratitude towards Swift during an MSNBC interview. He complimented her courage for endorsing, saying it’s the kind of bravery required in the United States.
In 2012, a study attempted to determine the relationship between celebrity endorsements and electoral outcomes, by examining the potential impact of Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of Barack Obama. The researchers estimated that Winfrey’s endorsement earned Obama approximately a million votes in the 2008 Democratic primary.
Swift has immense popularity nationwide, predominantly among Democrats. A poll by Fox News in October 2023 found overall, 55 percent of voters had positive views of Swift, including 68 percent of Democrats. The Republican party was split, with 43 percent viewing Swift favourably and 45 percent unfavourably.
Cayce Myers, a public relations professor at Virginia Tech, suggested Swift’s endorsement might influence the election result by motivating her younger Gen Z fans to vote.
Myers has stated that celebrity support doesn’t always equate to significant voter turnout. However, Swift’s backing, which reaches an exceedingly large fanbase and features emphasis on women’s rights, a topic favourable to the Democrats, could be an exception to this observation. This is reported by The Guardian.