Will Taylor Swift endorse Kamala Harris?

Washington DC - As Kamala Harris continues to amp up her last-minute presidential campaign, will Taylor Swift step in to electrify the Gen-Z vote by endorsing her?

Taylor Swift (l.) has not made a formal endorsement in the 2024 race, but she previously backed Kamala Harris as vice president in 2020.
Taylor Swift (l.) has not made a formal endorsement in the 2024 race, but she previously backed Kamala Harris as vice president in 2020.  © Collage: Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Kevin Lamarque / POOL / AFP

The 34-year-old pop star was said to be a major endorsement target for the Biden campaign before the president officially dropped out of the 2024 race.

As one of the most influential celebrities of the moment, it's no secret that her support would sway a not-insignificant portion of the vote, especially among women and young people.

Though she was notably apolitical for the majority of her career, Swift has slowly grown more vocal about her stances in recent years.

Tim Walz shouts out Taylor Swift as he brands Trump "the smallest man"
Taylor Swift Tim Walz shouts out Taylor Swift as he brands Trump "the smallest man"

In 2018, she formally endorsed Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper over Republican Marsha Blackburn, writing in an Instagram post that Blackburn's voting record "terrified" her.

"In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," Swift wrote.

The two years she referenced, of course, coincide with the election of Donald Trump, against whom she has been a vocal opponent.

Swift ultimately endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to take back the White House in 2020, but will she make another public statement in favor of the current vice president in this year's race?

Who has Taylor Swift endorsed in the past?

Taylor Swift showed her support for the Biden-Harris campaign during the 2020 presidential race.
Taylor Swift showed her support for the Biden-Harris campaign during the 2020 presidential race.  © Screenshot/Instagram/@taylorswift

Swift has made no secret of her disapproval of former President Trump.

In May 2020, she condemned his response to Black Lives Matter protests as she wrote, "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?

"'When the looting starts the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November."

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Elon Musk Elon Musk seemingly incites retaliatory violence against Kamala Harris and Joe Biden

Swift continued her criticisms before making a public endorsement of the Biden-Harris ticket through an interview with V Magazine in October 2020.

She even gave Harris a special shoutout as she pledged her support during the vice presidential debate, tweeting, "Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot."

Despite her past statements, Trump has still attempted to court Swift's endorsement in the 2024 election, sharing a post in February arguing that he did more for her than Biden by falsely taking credit for the Music Modernization Act and even bizarrely praising her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

The Cruel Summer songstress never addressed the comments, but based on her past track record, it's clear that she would be ready to endorse Kamala Harris – should she decide to go public with her vote.

Why wouldn't Taylor Swift endorse a candidate?

Taylor Swift might opt not to make a public endorsement out of safety concerns for her ongoing Eras Tour.
Taylor Swift might opt not to make a public endorsement out of safety concerns for her ongoing Eras Tour.  © ANDRE DIAS NOBRE / AFP

While it's clear who Swift would endorse, there is a case to be made about the possibility she may forgo an endorsement altogether.

Her stardom has reached unimaginable heights since 2020, largely due to her Taylor's Version re-recordings and her billion-dollar Eras Tour.

Swift's dominance over pop culture earned her the title of TIME's Person of the Year in 2023, an honor which has been given to many a politician for their distinct influence during a given year.

So, the Grammy winner's endorsement is nothing to sneeze at, and this may raise concerns that Swift could face some potential safety concerns from extremists.

She will still be performing on The Eras Tour when the election rolls around, and the singer has spoken openly about her fears for her safety during such highly publicized and well-attended events.

But, in her 2020 Miss Americana documentary, she notably pushed back at her team's security concerns, saying, "I need to be on the right side of the history."

The jury may still be out on Swift's decision, but considering her formal endorsement of the Biden-Harris ticket came just a month before election day, there's still plenty of time for her to shake up the race.

Cover photo: Collage: Amy Sussman / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Kevin Lamarque / POOL / AFP

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