Democrats believe that Taylor Swift's recent endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris could draw more young voters to the polls in November's election, but recent polls suggest the pop star's endorsement may not have a significant impact on voters' decisions at the ballot box.
Swift, who has been an outspoken critic of former President Trump, endorsed Harris after Tuesday's presidential debate. In an Instagram post signed “Childless Cat Lady,” the pop star said Harris is “fighting for rights and causes that I believe we need warriors to defend.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News Digital from the debate's spin room that the endorsement was “significant.”
“My advice to Donald Trump: Don't undermine her support at your own peril,” he said. “She's a cultural icon. Something big has happened in the world in terms of the energy she is associated with, the environment she is associated with, the optimism she is associated with. It was a big thing.”
Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president after debate: 'I made my choice'
Taylor Swift attends the Taylor Swift: The Eraser Tour concert film world premiere at AMC The Grove 14 on October 11, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer)
A Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital that Swift's endorsement could encourage more voters to turn out to the polls.
Trump says it's 'just a matter of time' before Taylor Swift endorses Harris
“This is definitely going to have an impact on turnout among young voters, and Trump knows that,” said Jessica Tarlov, a Democratic strategist and Fox News contributor. “What's important about her approach is that she explained her thinking and how this AI-generated image of her impacted her personally and her decision.”
“This isn't the Taylor Swift of 2018 wondering whether she should get into politics. This is the Taylor Swift of 2024 who knows who she is and isn't afraid of backlash for speaking up for her beliefs.”
According to a Suffolk University/USA Today poll conducted in May, about 83% of respondents said Swift's endorsement would have “no impact at all” on how they would vote in November.
Recent polls have shown Ms Harris leading Mr Trump among younger voters, traditionally Ms Swift's main base.
Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a Fox News town hall meeting with Sean Hannity at New Holland Arena in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on September 4, 2024. (Kevin Dietsch)
A recent New York Times/Siena poll found Harris leading Trump by 10 percentage points among voters ages 18 to 29.
“Myself and my peers who will be voting for the first time in November are not going to vote for Kamala Harris just because Taylor Swift and her cats tell us to,” Brilynn Hollyhand, chair of the Republican National Committee's Youth Advisory Committee and a Gen Z voter, told Fox about the endorsement.
“When I think about it, I don't think it's actually making any difference. This is all about tone, not policy,” he said. “If she doesn't have a plan to fix the country she destroyed, I don't think Gen Z is going to vote for her, no matter how many pop stars and trending memes she has.”
Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that he wasn't surprised by the endorsement and that he's “not a fan of Taylor Swift.”
Vice President Kamala Harris during the second presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg)
“It was only a matter of time. She […] “There's no way I'm going to support Biden. If you look at Biden, there's no way I'm going to support him,” Trump said.
“But she's a very liberal person. She always seems to support the Democrats. And she's probably going to pay the price for that.” […] At the market.”
While a show of support won't sway the decision, a Monmouth University poll released in February 2024 found that 68% of respondents supported Swift encouraging fans to vote this term.
Click here to get the FOX News app
In response to the endorsement, Harris-Waltz's campaign sold friendship bracelets on its website, similar to the ones fans wore during Swift's “Ella” tour.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
