Of the endorsements President Joe Biden may be seeking ahead of his expected rematch with former President Donald Trump in November, perhaps the one that has sparked the most conversation is that of pop megastar Taylor Swift.
Social media has been set ablaze with speculation over whom Swift may endorse in 2024 after she gave Biden her endorsement in 2020. The endorsement from Swift in 2020 was the first the singer had ever publicly given in a presidential election, and strategists believe her influence could tip the scales in the competitive election.
Swift’s fan base has proven to be a formidable block, with the singer having the ability to energize her fans with things as simple as wearing a garment of clothing or attending a public event. Her followers have additionally demonstrated the lengths to which they are willing to go for her, evidenced by the massive prices tickets for her Eras Tour went for on Ticketmaster and the immediate selling out of clothing the star wears.
Democratic strategist Max Burns described Swift as a “cultural phenomenon,” adding that candidates of any party would likely welcome her support.
While Biden’s team hasn’t publicly courted Swift’s seal of approval, it isn’t swatting it away, either. The New York Times reported last month that Swift’s name appears on a desired campaign surrogate list drafted by Biden aides.
In fact, his campaign and White House teams are having fun with the rumors. The White House’s X account shared a photo of a Kansas City Chiefs jersey and football Monday, captioned “Ready for it,” in reference to one of Swift’s songs.
Biden’s personal X account, used for his campaign, additionally joked Sunday night that he had planned the game’s outcome. “Just like we drew it up,” he said of Kansas City’s win, celebrated by Swift and her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Biden included a photo of himself with red laser eyes, a meme known as “Dark Brandon.”
“It is not controversial to believe that it’s beneficial to get an endorsement from the most famous woman in the world who is beloved by millions, single-handedly boosts the economy of every city she travels to, and can inspire tens of thousands of people to register to vote with a single Instagram post,” Democratic strategist Josh Schwerin pointed out.
Fellow strategist Kaivan Shroff said he “certainly” expects the singer to endorse Biden in 2024 as she did in the previous election. He noted that Swift previously admitted to regretting her silence in 2016 rather than endorsing Hillary Clinton.
“The entire right-wing political media ecosystem waging a war against her and her boyfriend makes it just that much more of a no-brainer,” he claimed.
Shroff was referencing the backlash to Swift by prominent right-wing influencers and pundits who have been vocally against the star for her past political stances and Kelce, particularly for his promotional deal with pharmaceutical company Pfizer, which produced COVID-19 vaccines at the center of controversy amid a faction of conservatives primarily.
Those spreading conspiracy theories that the NFL, Swift, Kelce, and Biden are allegedly working together to deliver the latter a reelection win, such as former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, are foolish to make an enemy of Swift and her fans by extension, Burns explained.
He noted that the GOP already faces difficulty recruiting young voters. “Do they really want to declare war on the Swifties?” he asked. Instead, Burns suggested, Republicans should heed Ticketmaster’s lesson and “accept that this isn’t a fight they’re going to win.”
Schwerin added that attacks on Swift were prompted by “MAGA” disdain of strong women who aren’t fans of Trump. But he said they should “shake it off.” Women are expected to play a pivotal role come November, particularly in swing states, which Swift’s home state of Pennsylvania happens to be.
Trump responded to the intense Swift-Biden speculation Sunday ahead of the Super Bowl on Truth Social, writing, “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 Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money,” he added. “Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can’t stand me!”
Regarding whether the Biden team should be working to secure her coveted endorsement, former President Barack Obama’s senior adviser Eric Schultz said 2024 is “all hands on deck.”
“We know all too well from 2016 that the stakes are too high for anyone to leave a blank space on their ballot or sit this one out,” he explained.
Shroff added it would be wise for the campaign to work on this but warned endorsements can only do so much.
A recent Newsweek poll conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies revealed that 18% of voters would be either “more likely” or “significantly more likely” to select a candidate with a Swift endorsement.
However, Shroff said, “I think there is some level of condescension in the recent narrative that young folks are somehow waiting around to be told how to vote by Taylor Swift.” According to the strategist, younger voters are both well-informed and focused on important policies at stake in 2024.
What may do more, he suggested, would be if Swift completely committed to raising awareness about 2024’s importance. “Imagine if, for example, we saw weekly tweets from Taylor Swift about the GOP’s war on women?” he asked. “Same goes for registering voters at her concerts! We are ready for Swift’s Activism Era!”
While Biden won the 2020 election with Swift’s endorsement, one of her rare political picks failed in Tennessee during the 2018 midterm elections. Phil Bredesen, who sought to unseat Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), failed to defeat her on Election Day, testing the limits of Swift’s political power.
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Shroff noted, “Her Blackburn endorsement came rather late,” explaining the ineffective move. However, he explained that the move was still “successful” in a way. “That the endorsement led to tens of thousands of voter registrations overnight, that’s pretty powerful,” he said.
A representative for Swift did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.
