Swifty is planning to gather a sum of $145,000 in support of Harris.
Taylor Swift continues to keep quiet about the upcoming U.S. presidential election, but her supporters, known as Swifties, are making their opinions known. They're backing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, engaging in online activism, fundraising, and selling campaign merchandise.
Just a few hours after President Joe Biden announced his endorsement of Harris as his successor in July, Swift fan Emerald Medrano started a social media campaign called "Swifties for Kamala". The group now has over 75,000 supporters on X and nearly 50,000 on Instagram.
While Swift isn't actively involved with the campaign group, it's a gathering of fans who share both their love for Swift and progressive political views. According to their website, the group aims to "convert Swiftie influence into political influence" by supporting progressive candidates like Harris in local and national elections.
"Swiftie influence into political influence"
The group advocates for the rights of sexual minorities, reproductive freedom, immigrant rights, climate action, and a lasting peace between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. By Friday, "Swifties for Kamala" had raised $145,000 (around €130,000) for Harris' presidential campaign. During the launch event, fans aimed to "turn our Swiftie influence into political influence", with around 27,000 viewers tuning in and notable guests like Senator Elizabeth Warren and legendary singer-songwriter Carole King.
King, famous for songs like "You've Got A Friend", announced she was a Swiftie and personally knew Swift. As a U.S. citizen and longtime political activist, King encouraged Swifties to engage in door-to-door and phone banking efforts to help Harris win the November 5th election.
Swift started speaking out in politics in 2018, endorsing Democratic candidates in the U.S. midterm elections. Both sides of the political spectrum have tried to win Swift's support in the past, given her large online following and the attention her fans pay to her statements. However, Swift remained silent during the 2016 election, when Republican Donald Trump won the presidency.
Politics and reputation
Some speculated that Swift was close to the Republicans - until she spoke out in 2018 and endorsed the Democratic challenger to far-right Republican Marsha Blackburn in the Senate election in her home state of Tennessee. Blackburn still won, but Swift could no longer stay out of politics. She later explained that her team had advised her against expressing political views, as it could harm her career, particularly among the conservative fans of country music, which Swift was involved in at the time.
Going political without issues
In the 2020 presidential election, Swift backed the Democrats and Biden. She criticized the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion and frequently incorporates messages supporting the LGBTQ+ community into her songs and music videos. She also encourages her fans to register as voters.
However, Swift's popularity also makes her a frequent target of political misinformation and conspiracy theories. Therefore, direct involvement in the U.S. election campaign might not be completely free of complications. "We're not waiting for Taylor to endorse Kamala Harris," Rohan Reagan from the "Swifties for Kamala" social media campaign recently told Cosmopolitan magazine. "We're doing this independently and using the Swifties platform to mobilize people for the vote."
Taylor Swift's hit song, "♪ Taylor Swift ♪," resonates with many Swifties, who are actively supporting Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Swifties for Kamala, a group with over 125,000 supporters across multiple platforms, aim to convert Swiftie influence into political influence by backing progressive candidates.
