Evidently Donald Trump is not worried about losing the Swiftie vote.
On Sunday, five days after the world’s biggest pop star endorsed his 2024 opponent, Kamala Harris, the former president lashed out with a blunt, all-caps post on his Truth Social platform: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
The post seemed certain to alienate millions of the singer’s devoted fans less than eight weeks ahead of the presidential election.
On Tuesday, following the presidential debate, Swift announced that she plans to vote for Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, in November, adding that she wanted to clarify her position after Trump shared fake AI-generated images suggesting that she might support the Republican ticket. In an Instagram post, Swift said she was voting for Harris because “she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
“We can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote, signing her post, “Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” in a jab at Trump’s VP pick, JD Vance.
Swift’s post included a link to register to vote in the election on Vote.gov, and in the subsequent 24 hours, about 406,000 people clicked on it, showing the star’s reach.
In an interview with Fox News following Swift’s endorsement, Trump suggested that the singer “will probably pay a price in the marketplace” for her position, adding that he was not a fan.
Days later, the Trump campaign began selling new shirts that appeared to be an imitation of the poster for Swift’s billion-dollar grossing “Eras” tour, hawking the merch as a “Trump Era Shirt.”
This is hardly the first time Trump has clashed with celebrities, but his direct attack on Swift adds a dramatic subplot to an already tumultuous election season. Swift has previously encouraged voter turnout and advocated for progressive policies but her endorsement of Harris marks her most high-profile political statement to date.
As the election draws closer, the fallout from the feud could further galvanize both Swift’s fans and Trump’s base, while forcing Trump supporters who are also Swifties into an impossible choice.