Taylor Swift ‘s unparalleled popularity has caused many to fret over which candidate she would endorse for POTUS. However, despite all the chatter, Swift herself has refrained from choosing anyone thus far, which has led netizens to argue that the air feels different this time around. As the star remains cocooned in her world with Travis Kelce and her Eras Tour, it feels highly unlikely that she will offer an endorsement to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the months leading up to November. Many have also argued that Taylor may no longer be strongly in support of Biden, given his stand on Gaza. This speculation may have a semblance of truth as Taylor was seen fundraising recently at a pro-Palestine event, according to Marca .
However, a chunk of the fans also remains disappointed over the star’s refusal to comment on Gaza, pointing out that since the frenzy of the 2020 elections, Swift has mostly remained distant from politics, avoiding any overtly political questions addressed to her. The popstar’s ‘vote the people who most represent YOU’ remark on Super Tuesday seems to be a definite refusal to engage in election politics this time around.
Some have argued that this withdrawal from taking stands can also arguably be attributed to a reluctance to distance her right-wing fans ahead of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department. Reiterating a similar notion, Indiana journalist Jared Quigg spoke to The Guardian , claiming, “She’s at the height of her popularity right now… she’s probably pretty hesitant to do any sort of political activism.”
In 2020, much to the unhappiness of conservatives, Swift chose to align herself on the ‘right’ side of history, strongly advocating against Donald Trump and endorsing Joe Biden instead with a plateful of frosted cookies, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Fast-forward four years, as the election year rolls in again, the American public has been gearing up for history to repeat itself due to Biden and Trump’s rematch. Speculation about whom Swift would endorse has also become a mainstream debate, especially with Swift’s recent call to action to go vote, which garnered 35,000 new voter registrations, as per CBS News .
watching the eras tour movie. i think taylor swift should endorse a third-party presidential candidate. i just want to see what happens
— willoughby muad’dobbs 🏜️🪱 (@WilloughbyDobbs) March 17, 2024
At the same time, various conspiracy theories regarding the pop star have become a fixture in the conservative discourse surrounding the elections, with some even thinking that Swift is a part of a government-funded ‘Psy-Op.’ Many also felt the Super Bowl was ‘rigged’ and that she would endorse Biden after the event, which never happened. These conspiracy theories are just a few in the GOP’s long list of claims that have no footing in reality. Unfortunately, almost one in every five Americans believes them, as per a poll conducted by Monmouth University .
Is Taylor Swift a Pentagon PsyOp asset? pic.twitter.com/yHp8WywKh8
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) January 10, 2024
Not one to beg or shy away from perpetuating his absurd claims, Trump also declared himself more popular than the star and put forward his own two cents, heeding caution that, should Swift repeat history, she would be ‘disloyal’ to the real estate mogul. He asserted, “There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden.”
I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists. Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will. There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 11, 2024
On the contrary, the Biden administration scrambled to align themselves with the star, ridiculing the NFL theory through a clever tweet and also promptly calling action against the star’s recent raunchy deep-fakes that went viral. Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair to the Biden reelection campaign, was one of the many keen to profess his fondness for Swift to The Washington Post , adding that ‘he’d love to have her endorsement.’