It’s a new election year in the U.S., with Kamala Harris facing Donald Trump in one of the most divided elections so far. After months of silence and weeks of intense pressure, Taylor Swift finally addressed who she would vote for.
The U.S. elections are like no other in the world. One of the biggest economic powers in the world, the United States’ elections result directly affects the rest of the world, let alone the fact that the president-elect has the power of the nuclear button. While things seem simple from afar, being in the middle of the fight between Republicans and Democrats has never been more dividing. With serious consequences at play, either candidate needs all the support they can get.
With Swift being easily one of the most influential artists at the moment, her endorsement for either party could result in a boost in morale and popularity for the candidate, as well as encourage Swifties to register to vote, taking their favorite artist’s choice into account when casting their vote.
Taylor Swift’s political background is not very extensive; she is a singer-songwriter after all. However, she started her political journey in her 2020 documentary Miss Americana, where she opened up about her dislike for Donald Trump and his values, and regretted not being more outspoken when he won the election in 2016. A few months later, in Oct. 2022, she endorsed Joe Biden.
Who Is Taylor Swift Voting for in 2024?
Following the first debate between Democrat candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, Swift revealed that she would be voting with Kamala Harris.
“As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country,” she wrote in a lengthy message posted on her social media account. “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
The message further addresses Trump’s illegal AI usage using her image for a fake endorsement and said that the “simplest way to combat misinformation” would be to share her truth. She also noted that she is “impressed” with her VP choice, Tim Walz, for “standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Swift further explained that she had done her “research” and based on it, she made her choice, encouraging her fans to do the same, and register to vote. She cheekily signed the same, “with love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to Trump’s running mate, JD Vance’s comments about childless women.
Her post reached 1 million likes in 13 minutes, and boasts over 6.6 million less than 24 hours since she posted it.
Taylor Swift was bullied into speaking up, and she might’ve planned to do it anyway
Taylor Swift is currently on a two-month break from her record-breaking The Eras Tour, with three more stops in the U.S. Following the recent terrorist plot in Vienna, Austria, in early August, Swift might be even more careful about her political stance to protect her fans. The upcoming stops are in Florida, Indiana, and Louisiana, all predominantly red states. She previously addressed her silence about the Vienna canceled shows, letting fans know that, sometimes, silence “is actually showing restraint,” and she would do anything to keep her fans safe at her shows.
The last time she endorsed a presidential candidate — Biden — she did so in October, and, with less than two months to go until the election on Nov. 5, 2024, she chose the moment with most political impact to reveal her stance.
The media frenzy around her silence shouldn’t be overlooked, either. Swift is the most influential artist at the moment, and her opinions on important matters weigh more than other celebrities’. However, the media pressure in the past few days has been outrageous. Big publications publicly slammed Swift for keeping quiet, “fans” slammed her for selling out, and the haters grew louder and louder, as usual.
Swift has always been a big draw when it comes to public disagreements — she’s a successful female musician. Whatever she does is not enough, but her past actions should’ve at least won the faith of her supposed massive fandom. With millions attending The Eras Tour, where she shared her hopes and vulnerabilities, it’s safe to assume many of them are die-hard Swifties who know and trust Taylor. However, their voices got lost in the multitude of fans disappointed in her silence, drowned in the echoing screams of “selling out” or caring only about her fortune, which Swift has proven many times it’s not true.
Her self-made billionaire status has further separated her from the masses, and her big donations at every stop during The Eras Tour were easily overlooked and ignored. Swift’s haters have always been loud, again, she’s the most successful artist, and she’s a woman. However, it was the fans’ responsibility to keep their faith in her that, no matter the company she kept, she would stay true to her values. She has publicly slammed Trump for his values many times and, as he progressively got worse and even became a convicted criminal, there was no way for her to endorse him as president.
As Swift puts in her song “Cassandra” from her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, “When it’s ‘burn the bitch’, they’re shrieking, When the truth comes out it’s quiet.”
