With a strong and direct message, Taylor Swift's statement of support for Kamala Harris marks a shift in the 34-year-old singer's approach to political issues.
After Kamala Harris’ impressive performance in her direct confrontation with Donald Trump on September 10 (US time), the news of Taylor Swift’s declaration of support for the Democratic Party came as a surprising and exciting piece of good news. “Hard work is the way to work effectively and we will win,” Harris told the crowd of supporters at a late-night party in Philadelphia after the debate. After the vice president left the podium, the melody of Taylor Swift’s “The Man” rang out: “I will be a leader without fear, I will be the one to lead.”
The influence of Taylor Swift
The Pennsylvania debate night marked a turning point in the Democratic campaign, opening up more prospects after a relatively difficult summer. However, the race for the White House remains very tight as voters show their desire to know more about Ms. Harris. Even after Ms. Harris's highly rated debate performance, some of the vice president's advisers said on September 11 (local time) that the election will be decided by undecided voters and those who are still wondering whether to vote. To reach that group of voters, Taylor Swift's appeal for support is definitely an effective help, the New York Times commented. In 2023, Taylor Swift's post encouraging people to vote attracted 35,000 new registrations on Vote.gov (the US election registration website).
Taylor Swift voiced her support for Ms. Harris after the Democratic Party had a successful night in Philadelphia. Photo: New York Times.
This time, Taylor Swift announced her support for the Harris-Walz ticket just six days before National Voter Registration Day (September 17). Taylor Swift's post also included a link to Vote.gov to encourage fans to register to vote. "This is not just a random celebrity," said Joel Penney, a professor at Montclair State University who studies how popular culture influences American politics. "The fact that these fans identify with celebrities is rare in today's popular culture." In addition to expressing support for the Democratic ticket, Taylor Swift also denied that she supported Mr. Trump and Mr. JD Vance in the election, saying that the viral videos on the Internet about this were actually the product of artificial intelligence. “The bottom line is that I need to be incredibly transparent about my plans for this election,” Taylor Swift wrote in an Instagram post on debate night. “The only way to combat misinformation is with facts.”
Taylor Swift's huge fan base has great influence. Photo: New York Times.
At the end of the post, the 34-year-old singer signed off with “cat lady, no kids,” a reference to Trump’s running mate Vance’s past comments about women who don’t have children, according to NBC News . In the past, Trump has called Swift “pretty” and “free-spirited.” He also noted that if elected, he would sign a bill that would change how artists receive song royalties, which he said would benefit artists like Swift financially. In February, Trump said it would be a betrayal if Swift voted for President Joe Biden. The former president also said on September 11 that Swift “may pay a price for always supporting Democrats.” Swift’s representative declined to comment on the election-related statements.
"The rose often withers easily"
For more than a year, the Pennsylvania pop star remained a stranger to Democratic campaign management. But just 20 minutes after Swift’s Instagram post, Harris’s campaign made a friendly gesture to Swift’s fans by putting “Harris-Walz friendship bracelets” on sale on their website. Within 12 hours, all the bracelets had sold out. On the afternoon of September 11 (local time), Harris’s team sent out a fundraising appeal to potential supporters to “join Taylor Swift in supporting us” by sending $25 . Harris’s campaign spokespeople expressed excitement that Swift had endorsed the Democratic Party, including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro. “Her coming out is a big deal,” Shapiro said. “Taylor Swift of Wyoming, Taylor Swift of Berks County, Taylor Swift of Pennsylvania — that’s a big endorsement.”
Photo of Ms. Swift's post expressing support for the Democratic Party on Instagram on September 10. Photo: Instagram.
Just a few years ago, Taylor Swift and her team were hesitant to get involved in politics. However, with the release of the documentary “Miss Americana” in 2020, the 34-year-old singer gradually showed her voice and influence. The documentary depicted the 34-year-old singer’s father, Scott Swift, against getting involved in political issues. At that time, Taylor Swift made a number of statements related to the 2018 midterm elections. “This is really important to me,” Taylor Swift replied to her father, choking up. Mr. Swift said in an interview on September 11 (US time) that his daughter’s support for the Democratic Party was “priceless.” “Celebrities have to be careful,” Mr. Swift also spoke cautiously. “The rose is very easy to wilt.” Six years after Swift overcame her doubts to make her endorsement, she spoke with more confidence as she outlined her reasons for supporting Harris. “I did my research and made my decision,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “You have the right to do the same.”
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