The 2024 presidential election could be the closest on record, and Taylor Swift's fans may end up being the voting bloc that makes the difference — particularly in the handful of swing states that will decide the Electoral College majority.
America' most famous pop star — and the TIME magazine 2023 Person of the Year — has been known to wade into political issues on occasion, as she did in the 2018 midterms and the 2020 election. However, she has yet to make a formal endorsement this year, at a time when many of her young fans are feeling apathetic about their choices in November. The Guardian reported that, should Swift throw her considerable influence in Biden's direction, that may be what motivates young people in swing states to take the time to vote.
"If she came out and actually did that, I think I would have a reason to also put it up and say, ‘Go vote for Biden,’ because we’re related to Taylor," said 19-year-old Addy Al-Saigh, who runs a Taylor Swift fan club at her Pennsylvania college.
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Swift could also wield her influence over her millions of fans in other ways. 22-year-old journalist Jared Quigg — a Swift fan who lives in Ohio — told the Guardian that the Biden administration may be compelled to act more forcefully on the Palestinian humanitarian crisis if the singer weighed in. He said that Swift being "at the height of her popularity right now" could make her "hesitant to do any sort of political activism," but that a focused statement could pressure Biden at the height of the election season.
"[B]ecause of the influence she has, if she came out and called for a ceasefire in Gaza, I think that... would put more pressure on the US government, especially if Biden wants her endorsement," Quigg said. "I don’t think that’s an exaggeration."
The 34-year-old frequent Grammy Award favorite's fanbase is more diverse than it may seem at first glance. A 2023 Morning Consult poll found that 48% of her fans are men, and more than half of Americans say they are fans of the multi-genre musical phenomenon. And of those respondents, 16% say they are "avid fans" of Swift. And even though her fanbase leans Democrat, with more than half identifying with the Democratic Party, 23% are independents, while the remainder are Republican-leaning. Given those numbers, a Swift endorsement could push Biden over the edge in states like Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin, which Biden won by a photo finish in 2020.
But other Swift fans told the Guardian that they feel less optimistic about the singer's plans to engage with the 2024 electorate in a meaningful way.
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"It feels like the stakes have gotten higher and she’s backed off pretty starkly," said Ryan Kovatch, who is a member of the University of Oregon Taylor Swift Society (OTSS). "It is strongly disappointing, as a member of the LGBT community, to see that and see the potential there and watch it be foregone time and time again."
The pop star's young fans have also recently taken her to task for her hesitance to take more public stances on controversial issues given her immense popularity. 21-year-old Trey Pokorny — another member of the OTSS whose drag persona is named "Treylor Swift" — said Swift's "billions of dollars" should logically make her feel more insulated from political blowback, not less.
"What is there to lose?" Pokorny said.
Click here to read the Guardian's report in full.
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