A History of Taylor Swift’s Comments on Politics: From Claiming People Don’t Want to “hear my views” to Openly Bashing Donald Trump and Supporting Kamala Harris
- Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for 2024 Presidential Election.
- Swift was not always very straightforward with her political views.
- Taylor Swift urges fans to register and vote for better tomorrow.
Known for her relatable songwriting, artistic reinventions, and cultural impact, Taylor Swift is one of the most influential people worldwide and is often the subject of public interest. With her Eras Tour, Swift became the first billionaire with music as the main source of her income, along with being the highest-grossing female touring act.
Apart from her impact on the music industry, Taylor Swift identifies as a pro-choice feminist and advocates for LGBTQ rights, along with being a vocal critic of white supremacy, racism, and police brutality. The singer-songwriter has been urging her fans to vote for a better tomorrow and is not afraid to speak out against the wrong. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Taylor Swift clarifies her stance and urges fans to check their registration and vote.
From dodging political views initially, Taylor Swift over the years made her stance loud and clear
There is no doubt that Taylor Swift is one of the biggest artists in the world and can influence the majority of the public. Her impactful songwriting combined with her impeccable storytelling has always been appreciated. Swift had always not been so stern and bold with her words and choices, especially when it came to her views on politics. In an interview with a Norwegian journalist in 2012, she was asked about her political views, to which she said,
I just figure I’m a 22-year-old singer, and I don’t know if people want to hear my political views. I think they just kind of want to hear me sing songs about breakups and feelings.
Taylor Swift’s impact was also seen when she countersued David Mueller, who had sued Swift for defamation after losing his job. Mueller claimed he lost his job after Swift reported that he groped her at a meet-and-greet. This incident, the singer describes as her inspiration to get political. Swift eventually won the lawsuit and requested a single dollar in damages and explained that she wanted to serve as an example to other women. This incident, the singer described as her inspiration to get political. Her post for March for Our Lives in 2018, talking about gun violence, was a major turn in her starting to open up about her political views.
In October 2018, Taylor Swift came out in support of Tennessee Democratic Candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. She explained in a lengthy post on her Instagram about why she’d be voting for them and not for Marsha Blackburn. 169,000 people registered to vote within 48 hours of her urging fans to register and vote. She wrote an open letter to Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, urging him to support passage of the Equality Act.
The singer wrote an essay, 30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30, for Elle in 2019 and mentioned that she was finding her voice in terms of politics. She added,
I took a lot of time educating myself on the political system and the branches of government that are signing off on bills that affect our day-to-day lives. I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change.
In an interview with The Guardian, Swift described Donald Trump’s presidency as ‘autocracy’. She shared regrets over not being as vocal as she could have been during the 2016 election, adding that she watched country music snuff the Chicks who were vocal about their views. Swift mentioned that the label started to tell every country artist to not get involved in politics no matter what. She endorsed Hillary Clinton at the time, and after she won the VMAs for Video of the Year, she spoke about the Equality Act.
The singer called out Donald Trump on X after the former President referred to Black Lives Matter protestors as thugs. She tweeted, ‘We will vote you out.’ Her documentary Miss Americana took the fans behind the scenes of her decision to take a stand against Marsha Blackburn, at the time Senator of Tennessee.
In 2020, Taylor Swift celebrated Kamala Harris’ nomination as Vice President and later endorsed Joe Biden. She shared with V Magazine why she had chosen to vote for them. Taylor Swift, along with the entire world, was terrified by the overturning of Roe V. Wade and wrote on her social media,
In September 2023, Swift once again urged fans to vote, and it netted 35,000 newly registered voters.
Taylor Swift endorses Kamal Harris amid being friends with Trump supporter Brittany Mahomes
Swift and Brittany Mahomes’ friendship has been the talk of the town since they were spotted last year during one of the games. And recently at the US Open match, she was seen embracing her in a hug. Fans have noted that Mahomes liked a post of Trump containing anti-LGBTQ campaign promises. They added that it felt like a betrayal watching Swift embrace Mahomes in a hug.
Taylor Swift finally decided to weigh in on the conversation ahead of the election to endorse Kamala Harris. She wrote on her Instagram,
I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader, and I believe we can accomplish so much more in the country if we are led by calm and not chaos.
The singer also added that she was so impressed by the selection of Harris’ running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and women’s right to their bodies. The musician decided to mock Trump’s running-mate JD Vance, who had commented ‘childless cat ladies who are miserable’ by signing her post by writing Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.
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