With supporters for both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris angling for pop superstar Taylor Swift’s vote of confidence, analysts assess the potential impact of such a statement: “It could be pivotal”

With supporters for both Trump and Harris angling for the pop superstar’s vote of confidence, analysts assess the potential effect of such a statement: “It could be pivotal.”

Bad blood appears to abound between supporters for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump heading into November’s tight presidential election. While both sides have enlisted varying degrees of star power at their respective national conventions, there appears to be one figure whose endorsement the two candidates seemingly covet: Taylor Swift.

Trump took to social media recently to share phony images generated by artificial intelligence suggesting that Swift and her fans support him, with the former president writing, “I accept!” Swift, who previously criticized Trump for “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism,” has yet to endorse either candidate. But given that the pop superstar has asserted her position as one of the most widely known and popular entertainers on the planet with her record-breaking Eras Tour, it’s clear that her support would be heard

As the female vote will be crucial in swaying the election, Swift’s endorsement could be crucial in influencing young female voters and reinforcing the notion that Harris, like [Barack] Obama before her, is presiding over the support of a movement rather than just a demographic in the national votes,” says Mark Wheeler, professor of political communications at London Metropolitan University and author of Celebrity Politics. “Clearly, Swift’s extraordinary popularity could bolster any candidate’s campaign, and her endorsement might indicate a significant shift in the narrative of the campaign.”
The tangible impact of any celebrity endorsement is difficult to quantify, given the numerous factors that could inform a voter’s choice. But in a close race like this one, experts note that influencing a small number of undecided voters in key battleground states could indeed move the needle, with Oprah Winfrey‘s endorsement of then-presidential candidate Obama in 2007 cited as a pivotal vote of confidence
It’s the people in the middle — the undecided — that Swift has the most potential to affect,” says Mark Harvey, associate professor at the University of St. Mary and author of Celebrity Influence. “I think it’s going to be very, very marginal, but it could be pivotal in swing states where there may be a very tight margin.”
There was a time when it seemed that a political endorsement from Swift would never, ever come to fruition. The star did not endorse Hillary Clinton when she ran against Trump in 2016, and Swift received flak when she did not attend the Women’s March movement in January 2017, instead tweeting her support for it after the fact. (“Who is Taylor Swift voting for?” was a popular search topic ahead of the 2016 election.)