Can Taylor Swift save the world from Donald Trump?

OTTAWA—It’s hard to get too serious about a pop star, but let’s begin with the fact that the United States Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia has characterized Taylor Swift as a one-person economic game-changer. And Forbes went further: “The global effect of Taylor Swift’s tour has been staggering. When she comes into a city, it is an economic force which lifts their economies.” One market research firm calculated that her 2023 tour helped inject $5-billion into the international economy. The Wall Street Journal calls it “Taylornomics.” As a global cultural phenomenon, the Grammy winner also has few equals. In the run-up to the Feb. 11 Super Bowl, the Japanese government itself went public to assure the world the singer could fly back from a Tokyo concert in time for her usual appearance supporting Kansas City at the game. Last summer, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent her a note saying how much her fans here “would love to have you” perform in Canadian cities. In 2023, Swift became a billionaire, was named Time’s person of the year, and became a minor weekly sideshow in the National Football League because of her romantic ties to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. In a presidential election year in the celebrity-obsessed U.S., Swift’s star power has become a matter of fiery national debate. Newsweek ran an article last month under the headline: “Is Donald Trump really more popular than Taylor Swift?” Trump indeed thinks he is, according to a report in Rolling Stone. But if it comes down to social media, the 34-year-old singer has far more going for her than the ex-president. Her Instagram followers, for instance, number 275 million-plus. On his Truth Social platform, Trump recently said Swift would be acting in a “disloyal” way if she supported President Joe Biden in the Nov. 5 election. This because while in the White House, Trump signed updated copyright legislation that “made her so much money,” Trump asserted. All this would be just a curiosity if Swift didn’t have the potential to influence the results in what could be a very close election. Last September, on National Voter Registration day in the U.S., Swift urged her millions of fans to sign up to cast ballots in 2024, leading to a record-breaking surge of 35,000 registrations at Vote.org. One national poll found that one third of young voters were "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a candidate supported by her. While initially steering clear of politics, Swift in the last few years has tied herself to pro-choice feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and the fight against racial discrimination. Ahead of 2018 mid-term Congressional elections, she wrote: “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. “I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG,” she said, adding: “I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of colour is terrifying, sickening, and prevalent.” In 2020, responding to Trump’s racially charged remark that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” she tweeted at the president: “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? We will vote you out in November.” Swift supported Biden that year and her name tops the list of the Biden team’s hoped-for endorsements now, as her potential to influence disaffected youth voters could help with one of the U.S. president’s major electoral problems. It’s not clear if she will back the Democrats, but the American right-wing hate-and-conspiracy industry has gone berserk over the possibility. Typical of the hysteria in MAGA-land, Fox News host Jesse Watters recently claimed that Swift is a “Pentagon psyop asset” who could be “a front for a covert political agenda.” (The Pentagon formally denied this.) “The NFL is totally RIGGED for the Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, Mr. Pfizer (Travis Kelce),” said Mike Crispi, a pro-Trump broadcaster, in another outpouring from the right-wing fever swamp. “All to spread DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA.” The reference to “Mr. Pfizer” relates to an ad in which Kelce promoted COVID-19 vaccines, part of the activities of the football standout that have made him a target in U.S. culture wars. Swift’s ballot-box influence is untested, but Republicans clearly see her as enough of a threat to Trump that they have begun warning her to stay out of the political fray. As one conspiracy theorist summed up the coming election: “2024 will be MAGA versus Swifties.” Les Whittington is a regular columnist for The Hill Times. The Hill Times

Can Taylor Swift save the world from Donald Trump?

Swift’s ballot-box influence is untested, but Republicans clearly see her as enough of a threat to Trump that they have begun warning her to stay out of the political fray.

Time for a shift: Canada must treat Alzheimer’s like other progressive diseases

Canada faces a cybersecurity crisis with critical infrastructure at risk

Let Ukraine strike back

Who’s standing up to the danger of World War III?

The sad saga of Afghan-Canadian military advisers

Between wars and fears of fascism in the U.S., there’s plenty to be scared about

Call it the revenge of Tricky Dick

Trump wins another battle in this war of delay, deny, and deflect

Donald Trump has already subverted U.S. democracy

The stakes couldn’t be higher for Canada as Biden kicks off rematch with Trump

Right at home in Canada: Tucker Carlson spews lies and hate in Alberta

News

Get free news updates

Opinion

Submit a guest opinion article

resources

Advertise

subscribe

get help

Can Taylor Swift save the world from Donald Trump?

Swift’s ballot-box influence is untested, but Republicans clearly see her as enough of a threat to Trump that they have begun warning her to stay out of the political fray.

Get The Foreign Policy Newsletter