Minutes after the debate, Taylor Swift posted on social media and officially endorsed presidential candidate Kamala Harris. This is the first time the singer has talked politics since Harris was nominated. She took to Instagram, saying, “I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter.” Many people expected Swift to share her opinion sooner, and she received a lot of backlash for not doing so. In her Miss Americana documentary, Swift talks about the importance of politics. She dives into her own political beliefs, stressing the importance of voting. She has the power to influence tens of thousands of people to vote, so her silence before the upcoming debate was ill-received.
But when Swift finally made her choice, she chose Harris. “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice.”
How will this influence the election, if it does at all? It might, but not in a grand sort of way. Swift has a very large following, and those followers are loyal to a fault. But I don’t think her political ideals will change anyone’s mind. Sure, if someone is on the fence about who they want to vote for, they might see that she chose Harris, and that might make them lean more toward Harris. However, I don’t think it’s going to change a far-right Republican Swiftie’s viewpoint.
If anything, I think Swift endorsing Harris will not impact the election as much as it will impact her. We live in a time where a person’s political ideology determines whether or not we like them. Oh, you’re a Republican? I immediately hate you. Wait, you’re a Democrat? Sorry, I can’t talk to you. Swift is bound to get hate for supporting a political leader, no matter what side they land on.
So when people say, will her political views impact the 2024 election? Maybe, but if it does, it won’t be by a lot.