On September 10th, following the presidential debate, Taylor Swift endorsed presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Instagram. Swift’s endorsement, coming from a celebrity with more than 280 million followers, brought up an important question: should celebrities share their personal political views with the public?
A dozen Upper School students and teachers were aware of Swift’s endorsement within the day after it was posted, demonstrating how quickly celebrity endorsements can attract attention. Charlotte Grant ‘28 said Swift’s bold announcement of her political stance was inspirational.
Even though she knew her statement would lead to backlash, Swift expressed her opinion regardless of potential consequences. Overall, responses from student and teacher interviews highlighted the positive impact an individual’s opinion can have on a larger fan community.
Nationwide, the response has been similar. Many Democratic Swifties are “thrilled,” according to the Washington Post, proud of their dual identities as Swift fans and Harris supporters. A new account on X called “Swifties for Kamala” has gained over 77 thousand followers, indicating significant overlap between Swift’s fanbase and Democrats.
But, there are Swift fans on the other side of the political spectrum too. An X account called Swifties for Trump has 22 thousand followers and said in a statement that they “respected Taylor’s right to voice her support for the candidate she feels best represents her vision of America.”
Swifties with different political views agree that her endorsement won’t affect their passion for her music or Swift herself. However, the endorsement reached many fans and resulted in over 400,000 people visiting the voter registration website through Swift’s Instagram profile.
Despite this influence, her political stance led to some negative social media comments about her, including from Former President Trump, who posted a critical comment on X in response to her endorsement of Harris.
While celebrities have significant influence over millions of people, their opinion represents just one citizen’s vote. As independent thinkers, Americans shouldn’t be swayed by a single celebrity’s decision but should form their own views based on personal values and research into what each candidate offers for America’s future.
