Moments after the presidential debate ended on Tuesday, Sept. 10, Taylor Swift announced on Instagram that she would support Kamala Harris in the presidential election. She also encouraged others to make educated decisions when deciding which candidate to support, and to register to vote.
“I think [Kamala Harris] is a steady-handed, gifted leader, and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift said. “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make.“
Swift is not the first celebrity to cast their ballot; according to Forbes, Kid Rock, Lin Manuel Miranda and Charli XCX have all endorsed either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in their run for the presidency.
Isabelle Eisele, junior, said celebrity endorsements like Swift’s should happen more often.
“If celebrities want people to vote the way they do and because of the power and influence they have, endorsements are a great way to do that; however, I think celebrities should be more involved in politics,” Eisele said.
While Eisele said she doesn’t think a celebrity’s endorsement would alter a person’s vote, it could generate conversations about politics.
“If the person someone idolizes and the person that they are a fan of talks about their opinions on a situation, that’s going to start conversations and it’s going to put more people in a political space and political mindset,” Eisele said.
Patrick Hoffner, sophomore, said Taylor Swift’s power can promote some change in the election, especially because of a loyal and dedicated fanbase of 283 million Swifties following her on Instagram. He doesn’t, however, believe that her endorsement will change his vote.
“I don’t think that celebrities should be required to get into politics,” Hoffner said, “but [if] a celebrity would like to use their following to promote their political ideas then that is their right and their decision.”
Celebrity endorsements are not a recent development. In 1960, JFK had Frank Sinatra write and sing his campaign song. However, celebrities are now expected to share their political viewpoints, Anna Gray, social studies teacher, said.
“Because of social media, because we are in celebrities’ lives so much, they let us ‘follow them,’ it’s like fans feel entitled to know this part of their private life too,” Gray said.
Gray remembers two types of celebrity endorsements growing up.
“There were the endorsements that were ‘I support this candidate, I support these policies.’ But then there was another kind where it was ‘I don’t want this person,’” Gray said.
According to CBS News, celebrities such as Samuel L. Jackson and Cher threatened to leave the country if Trump won the 2016 presidential election.
Some celebrities now face the danger of fake news spreading about their political stance. Trump ran a fake endorsement purporting that Taylor Swift supported him, Gray said.
“I believe it put more pressure on her to make a decision and say something because there were others out there spreading misinformation, disinformation, even creating fabricated content,” Gray said.
Celebrities have also received backlash for their endorsements in previous elections. According to ABC News, Kanye West encountered heavy criticism after endorsing Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Gray questions the importance of endorsements.
“Should those things sway people?” Gray said.
Molly Fitzpatrick, sophomore, said she generally doesn’t like it when celebrities get involved in politics.
“I think some celebrities have a younger audience, and they’re talking about things younger kids don’t need to know about or don’t want to know about, and I don’t think that’s fair,” Fitzpatrick said.
Despite her initial disapproval, some celebrities have brought change through political statements, Fitzpatrick said.
“Voter registration is a big one that I’ve seen, especially with Taylor Swift,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said she still worries that some celebrities will spread misinformation.
“There are celebrities who will make incorrect statements and say hateful things that will stir up the wrong conversations,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think if you’re a big enough celebrity and you have stated politics are very important to you, I think it’s very very important to talk about it.”
