In an Instagram post, Taylor Swift said she voted for Kamala Harris because “she fights for rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend.”
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Taylor Swift is entering the 2024 election.
The famous pop star has expressed his support for Vice President Harris, with less than two months to go until the election.
“I think she is a strong, capable leader and I believe we can achieve so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” she wrote in a post to her more than 280 million Instagram followers.
Swift, who began publicly weighing in on politics before the 2018 midterm elections, has a track record of promoting civic engagement by discussing politics online. Her past endorsements and statements, though sporadic, have prompted tens of thousands of people to register to vote.
It’s unclear how big an impact Swift’s endorsement could have on Harris this year. But with the presidential race expected to be extremely tight, Swift’s endorsement could boost Democratic enthusiasm, especially as Harris’ campaign tries to win back support from younger Americans.
Voters under 30 were a strong voting bloc for President Biden in 2020, siding with him by a 24-point margin. But over the past year, they have grown disenchanted with the outgoing president. Harris credits the renewed interest in voting among Gen Z and younger millennials, Latest NPR/PBS News/Marist PollBut Harris has yet to reach her 2020 numbers.
This target generation has known the country-turned-pop star for most of their lives. Her debut album, from fall 2006, is roughly the age of an 18-year-old eligible voter today.
Few celebrity endorsements have made a noticeable impact in modern campaigns—except Oprah Winfrey’s endorsement of former President Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential primary. Political experts have has been debated that celebrities can rally existing supporters but have minimal impact on convincing new voters. Winfrey endorsed Harris at this year’s Democratic National Convention, but it’s unclear how much impact her endorsement will have in the general election.
Quick first consider the election in 2018. The singer has since called out former President Donald Trump during his presidency and support Biden in 2020.
Swift’s political statements often come with calls to vote. She reiterated her call to supporters in her endorsement of Harris on Tuesday: “Remember, to vote, you have to register!”
Vote.org voter group reported 65,000 new voters registered for 24 hours in 2018, when Swift endorsed two Democratic congressional candidates in her home state of Tennessee. That was almost double as the group witnessed on national voter registration day last year.
Despite the surge in registration, both Tennessee candidates lost in the Republican state.
Some polls suggest Swift’s endorsement could help sway people’s decision. In one poll reported by Newsweek in MayOne-third of voters under 25 said they were more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by Swift.
Even before Swift’s endorsement, many of her fans took note of Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance’s comments about “cat-loving women with no children,” turning them into praise for Swift, who is known for her love of cats.
Swift leaned into that perception by signing her Instagram post Tuesday, “Childless Cat Lady.”
