This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Jason Tsoi. Find him on Instagram at @jason.tsoi. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As August slips away into a moment in time and election season begins, Taylor Swift’s fans — a.k.a. Swifties — are organizing to back their preferred 2024 presidential candidate with online movements, “Swifties For Kamala” and “Swifties For Trump.” Even though Swift has not made an official public endorsement, Swifties are motivated to get involved in the presidential race. But how exactly are these Swiftie movements impacting this year’s election?
First, let’s take a deep dive into the fan base’s key demographics. Of the fan base who identify as devoted Swifties, approximately 45% are Millennials, while 11% are Gen Z, and 55% are Democrats, while 23% are Republicans, according to a 2023 Morning Consult survey.
This is significant as the majority of Swift’s fan base is young and younger voters may be the deciding factor in this crucial election. Before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, younger voters were less likely to turn out at the ballot box. But, with the state of the race dramatically changing in the wake of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential nomination, younger voters are now more energized to mobilize behind the presidential candidates.
Swifties For Kamala
Following Biden’s departure from the presidential race and endorsement of Harris for president, an account called “Swifties For Kamala” (originally “Swifties For Harris”), emerged on X, Instagram and TikTok. The unaffiliated coalition, founded by Emerald Medrano, 22, rose in popularity among the fan base, gaining over 50,000 followers on X and Instagram, and over 125,000 on TikTok. In a mission statement released on their social media platforms, the coalition expressed their goal to elect Harris, as well as their hopes for the future.
“As a fandom, we have the power to invigorate and inspire a new generation of voters and support the voters who have led the way before us,” the coalition wrote in the statement. “Together, Swifties have the power to help elect Vice President Harris as the 47th President of the United States.”
A few weeks after its formation, “Swifties for Kamala” held its first virtual call, fundraising for the Harris campaign. The two-hour call consisted of speeches from the coalition’s organizers and prominent figures, such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Carole King, motivating Swifties to join the fight to elect Harris. While wearing friendship bracelets, many of the speakers shared their favorite Swift songs and referenced song lyrics in their speeches, bringing the spirit of the Eras Tour to the call.
During the call, the coalition also provided attendees with resources to donate and check their voter registration to ensure they’re prepared to vote at the polls. With over 34,000 Swifties in attendance, the coalition raised over $147,000 for the Democratic presidential candidate.
Swifties For Trump
Meanwhile, on Aug. 18, former President Donald Trump shared a sequence of AI-generated photos of Swift and Swifties on his Truth Social account, falsely accepting an endorsement from the pop star and fan base. One AI-generated image depicted Swift as Uncle Sam with the caption, “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.” Other AI-generated images illustrated women wearing “Swifties for Trump” t-shirts. But are Swifties actually turning out in support for the former president in the likeness of “Swifties For Kamala”?
After wearing a “Swifties for Trump” shirt at a Trump rally in Wisconsin, Jenna Piwowarczyk, 19, caught Trump’s attention as a photo of her was shared by the former president among the series of AI-generated images. As the face of “Swifties for Trump,” the college student later posted a TikTok video, explaining her reasons for starting the movement.
“I think this movement is super awesome, but also super important because it’s no secret that millions of young female voters consider themselves Swifties,” Piwowarczyk said in the video. “And we don’t want them to have to choose between loving Taylor Swift and supporting their conservative ideologies at the ballot box in November.”
A history of Swift’s endorsements
Being one of the top current artists in the United States, a Swift endorsement could significantly influence the tide of the election. As speculation continues to rise on whether or not Swift will make a public endorsement this election, let’s remember this won’t be the pop star’s first time engaging in the political scene.
One month prior to the 2018 midterm elections, Swift released a statement on Instagram, endorsing Tennessee Democratic candidates, former Governor Phil Bredesen for the Senate and Representative Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives. In her statement, Swift spoke out against Senator Marsha Blackburn, criticizing her voting record against women and LGBTQ+ rights in Congress.
Similarly, Swift once again broke her silence a month before the 2020 presidential election, where she made her first public presidential endorsement of the Biden and Harris campaign in an interview with V Magazine. In a post on X, the pop star announced her endorsement along with an image of her holding a plate of “Biden Harris 2020” cookies.
Will Swift make her second presidential endorsement soon? Either way, with or without a Swift endorsement, it’s evident the singer’s influence will have an impact on this election through the movements of her fan base. So, as Election Day quickly approaches, I have one more question to ask you: are you ready for it?
What are your thoughts? Do you think Swift will make an endorsement? If so, when and how will she announce it? Let us know in the comments.
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