WASHINGTON: Former President Donald Trump has made it clear that he is definitely not a fan of Taylor Swift. In a post on Truth Social, Trump expressed his disdain for the pop star in all caps, stating, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
This reaction came shortly after Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Following Tuesday night’s debate between Harris and Trump, Swift voiced her support for the Democratic vice president on Instagram, addressing her over 280 million followers. She praised Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader” who champions the causes Swift believes in and expressed a desire for leadership characterized by calm rather than chaos.
Swift’s decision to publicly support Harris was partly motivated by Trump’s use of misinformation suggesting that she was backing him. Last month, Trump circulated an AI-generated image of Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit endorsing his campaign, among other images that falsely implied he had won over some of her fanbase. Trump has since denied any involvement with these images.
Swift’s political endorsements have historically increased voter engagement. Her support for social causes ahead of the 2018 midterms notably spurred tens of thousands to register to vote. Her recent Instagram endorsement drove more than 300,000 visitors to the voter registration site Vote.gov, according to NPR.
Despite Swift’s influence, a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll indicates that her endorsement may have had minimal effect on voters’ likelihood to support Harris. Additionally, celebrity endorsements can sometimes backfire, either by drawing attention away from the candidate or highlighting differing political views among fans.
