ENTERTAINMENT
Taylor Swift is not a Donald Trump fan: All of the pop stars’ comments about the former president
Swift tends not to divulge her political leanings in public, although she has been less than complimentary about one former President.
Swift’s political views have long been a topic of speculation for fans and pundits alike, as the singer has largely stayed silent on matters involving politics.
Things changed in 2018, when she publicly endorsed Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen in Tennessee, expressing her support for the LGBTQ+ community as well as abortion rights.
Why does Taylor Swift not say who she votes for?
It was, curiously, a decision that Swift took after seeing the backlash The Chicks (previously The Dixie Chicks) received from country fans after they criticised then-President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003.
She said: “I watched country music snuff that candle out. The most amazing group we had, just because they talked about politics. And they were getting death threats. They were made such an example that basically every country artist that came after that, every label tells you, ‘Just do not get involved, no matter what.’ The worst part of the timing of what happened in 2016 was I felt completely voiceless. It was the fact that all the dirtiest tricks in the book were used and it worked. The thing I can’t get over right now is gaslighting the American public into being like... ‘If you hate the president, you hate America.’ We’re a democracy—at least, we’re supposed to be—where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate. I really think that he thinks this is an autocracy.”
As well as that, she remarked that she “of course” would have publicly endorsed Clinton had she felt more confident in doing so publicly.
What has Taylor Swift said about Donald Trump?
Swift told The Guardian that she became more aware of the political situation in the USA after Trump defeated Clinton at the end of the 2016 cycle.
“The things that happen to you in your life are what develop your political opinions,” she told the British media outlet. “I was living in this Obama eight-year paradise of, you go, you cast your vote, the person you vote for wins, everyone’s happy! This whole thing, the last three, four years, it completely blindsided a lot of us, me included.”
She also went public on Twitter after Trump commented that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.
“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. @realdonaldtrump” she wrote.
Swift says Trump ‘put millions of Americans’ lives at risk’
Swift also went public to criticise the way in which Trump handled the U.S. Postal Service funding, slating him for allegedly withholding billions of dollars.
“Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power”.
“Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early.”
Swift's Instagram post in 2018:
I’m writing this post about the upcoming midterm elections on November 6th, in which I’ll be voting in the state of Tennessee. 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. I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent.
I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love. Running for Senate in the state of Tennessee is a woman named Marsha Blackburn. As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. Please, please educate yourself on the candidates running in your state and vote based on who most closely represents your values. For a lot of us, we may never find a candidate or party with whom we agree 100% on every issue, but we have to vote anyway.
So many intelligent, thoughtful, self-possessed people have turned 18 in the past two years and now have the right and privilege to make their vote count. But first you need to register, which is quick and easy to do. October 9th is the LAST DAY to register to vote in the state of TN. Go to vote.org and you can find all the info. Happy Voting! 🗳😃🌈
What has Donald Trump said about Taylor Swift?
“I think she’s beautiful—very beautiful. I find her very beautiful,” Trump said on Swift. “I think she’s liberal. She probably doesn’t like Trump. But I hear she’s very talented. But I think she’s very, I think she’s very beautiful, actually—unusually beautiful.”
Swift’s influence on the political sphere is clear. On September 19, National Voter Registration Day, she posted on Instagram, urging her followers to register on Vote.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit platform. Shortly afterwards, the organisation reported a surge of over 35,000 registrations—nearly 25 percent more than on the same day last year.
Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, described this surge as a “highly encouraging sign of voter enthusiasm,” especially with a 115 percent increase in newly eligible 18-year-olds registering compared to 2022.