I'm A Lifelong Swiftie And A Conservative—Here's How I Feel About Her Harris Endorsement

The post was of Taylor Swift (looking undeniably gorgeous) posing with her cat against a dark backdrop. The caption (which Swift claimed she wrote after watching the debate), explained why she was voting for Kamala Harris. Swift listed her “research” before encouraging her fans to register to vote.  

I rolled my eyes and sighed before moving on. After all, Swift is a Hollywood celebrity and public Democrat. She endorsed Biden in 2020 and has supported other liberal policies in the past, even releasing pro LGBTQ and feminist songs on her album Lover. So I wasn’t surprised she’d endorsed the Democratic candidate this time around. I was surprised, though, at how much weight the media gave her endorsement. 

When Swift endorsed Harris following the first presidential debate between VP Harris and former President Donald Trump on September 10, news media and the internet went wild. Every evening news show and political influencer seemed to have something to say about it, either bashing Swift or praising her as a savior for the endorsement. 

Despite Swift’s enormous fame, I was still surprised by the huge and very serious reactions to her endorsement. After all, celebrities endorse candidates all the time and don’t receive a ton of attention. Is Swift so popular that she’s really going to influence voters? Many mainstream outlets seemed to think so. 

As a lifelong conservative and an avid Swiftie, I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that my favorite pop star isn't in alignment with me on most politics. I’ve grown up with Swift’s music playing as a soundtrack to my childhood crushes, teenage angst, and college heartbreaks. I still listen to her albums religiously and admire her songwriting. I eagerly follow along for easter eggs and wonder with everyone else when Reputation Taylor's Version will be released. But I’m also a strong conservative and a Christian who believes in values that Swift has made clear she doesn’t share. Including the belief that life begins at conception and is precious. These beliefs are central to how I view the world and live my life. In college, I joined a pro-life group on campus and worked part-time for a conservative member of Congress. I’ve talked with my friends about politics and shared my views online. In short, I’m a big fan of Swift, but I’m also a big fan of conservative values.  

So when Swift comes out and endorses a candidate I don’t agree with, citing issues like abortion that I strongly oppose, it’s disappointing to say the least. 

The Art versus the Artist  

Swift’s political statements have caused many to harshly criticize her and stop listening to her music altogether. I can certainly understand this point of view. If you feel deeply convicted about listening to Swift’s music, then of course do what your conscience tells you and choose an alternative artist. There's plenty to choose from, after all. I would ask, though, if you apply the same standards to every artist, outlet, and brand you interact with? If not, then why? 

I get why people wouldn’t want to buy merch or stream songs of a person who disagrees with you on fundamental issues like abortion. However, I’ve never felt a need to choose between being a conservative or being a Swiftie. To me, liking the music doesn’t mean I have to like the musician. Swift is a megastar, so all her views and endorsements make headlines. But I’m sure if I took the time to look into it, most of my favorite stars also vote blue. Swift is, in that way, no different from the rest of them. If I don’t boycott movies because the stars support liberal policies, I don’t believe I need to boycott Swift either. 

I listen to Swift’s music because I like the storytelling in it. I love her varied albums and many eras, from sparkling teen crushes in Speak Now (where in one song Swift daydreams about crashing her ex’s wedding and running away with him) and Fearless (where Swift sings about dancing in the rain), to her more mature albums like Folklore (where Swift worries about her depression and people pleasing habits). I like Swift’s art, and through her storytelling, I may have an idea of who she is as a person, but I don’t know her, nor do I want to. I like Swift because of her music, not her politics, love life, friends, personality, or anything else. I enjoy her songs the way I do a book – it’s amusing and interesting and sometimes relatable. I don’t love it when Swift endorses people who I disagree with, but I can still separate it from her work. I do skip her more political songs like “The Man” and “You Need to Calm Down,” but those are thankfully a few exceptions to her mostly non-political art.

Taylor Swift’s Political Endorsements Are Nothing New

In recent years, Swift has made a habit of disappointing many of her fans by becoming more outspoken in her support of Democratic policies. For much of her career, Swift was quiet on politics, and with her start in country music, many believed her to be a closet conservative. That all changed in 2018 when Swift posted a black and white Polaroid of her with a caption endorsing Democrats Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. In the post, Swift noted that she had been “reluctant to publicly voice my political opinion” but felt differently “due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years.” Swift claims in her post that she was jumping into politics because she supported “LGBTQ rights” and wanted to stop “systemic racism.”

I think this sudden interest in politics was to help her own career more than a pure desire for good. Maybe Swift hoped that endorsing a Democrat might get the mainstream media back on her side. After her 2016 feud with Kayne West, Swift was pushed out of the spotlight. Swift later described the 2016 and 2017 feud as a “career death,” saying she didn’t leave her house for a year after it happened. 

Flash forward to 2018, and Taylor is trying to promote her 2017 album Reputation which did not meet with the same success as her 1989 album. So, shortly after that, Taylor posts that she’s a Democrat and supports LGBTQ people, perhaps in hopes she’s once again mainstream media’s darling? No one can say for sure why she did it, but it’s true that Swift fully embraced her activism role with her next album Lover which featured the (very skippable) singles “You Need to Calm Down” and “The Man.” These songs supported the Pride agenda and third wave feminism. 

Since the Lover Era, Swift has not been as politically active. She still endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, but her following albums shy away from loud political statements. Swift’s next albums Folklore and Evermore, which came out during the pandemic, leaned into a softer, more mature side of Swift. These albums, in my opinion, helped restart her career more than her brief political activist era. Swift’s following Midnights album and the Eras Tour helped her reach new heights of fame and put her fully back into the spotlight. Add to that her highly publicized relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs star player Travis Kelce, and nearly everyone has forgotten that a handful of years ago Twitter was trying to cancel Swift.   

I’m glad Swift has pulled back from the heavy handed politics she used during the Lover Era, but I do wish she’d stay out of politics entirely. Swift would do well to follow the example of celebrities like Caitlin Clark and Patrick Mahomes, both of whom declined to state who they were voting for and instead just encouraged people to be involved in politics and voting in general.  

Will Swift’s Endorsements Make a Difference? 

But for now it seems like Swift will continue to endorse Democrats, which will in turn make splashy headlines and draw praise or criticism from the media. But will it do anything come Election Day? A new poll found that 81% of people said Swift’s endorsement didn’t change their opinions on Trump or Harris. 6% said that it made them more likely to vote for Harris, but 13% (ironically, Swift’s lucky number) said it would make them less likely to vote for Harris. So in the end, Swift’s endorsement made little difference and may have even slightly helped Trump. 

Swift is incredibly successful, so maybe it’s not surprising her endorsements make headlines and bring out strong opinions on both sides. Like many celebrities, Swift votes blue and wants her audience to know it. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to make a real difference in the polls. As for this conservative Swiftie, I’ll still vote for people who support my beliefs and values, but I also won’t be hitting skip on Swift anytime soon.