Donald Trump is clearly not worried about losing Swiftie's 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 appeared designed to alienate millions of the singer's devoted fans less than eight weeks before 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 he might support the Republican nomination. In an Instagram post, Swift said she would vote for Harris because she is “fighting for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to stand up for them.”
“We can accomplish so much more in this country if we are guided by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote, signing her post, “Taylor Swift, the childless cat lady,” in an attack on Trump’s vice presidential nominee, JD Vance.
Swift's post included a link to register to vote in the election at Vote.gov, and in the next 24 hours, about 406,000 people clicked on it, demonstrating the star's reach.
In an interview with Fox News following Swift's endorsement, Trump suggested the singer “will probably pay a price in the marketplace” for her position, adding that he was not a fan of her.
Days later, the Trump campaign began selling new T-shirts that appeared to be a knockoff of the poster for Swift’s multimillion-dollar “Eras” tour, promoting the merchandise as “Trump Era T-Shirts.”
It's not the first time Trump has clashed with celebrities, but his direct attack on Swift adds a dramatic plot twist to an already tumultuous election season. Swift has previously encouraged voter turnout and championed progressive policies, but her endorsement of Harris is her most high-profile political statement to date.
As the election approaches, the fallout from the dispute could further galvanize Swift's fans and Trump's base, while forcing Trump supporters who are also Swifties to make an impossible choice.
