(The Hill) – The escalating feud between former President Trump and Taylor Swift could impact the November election as Democrats seek to apply Swift’s support for Vice President Harris to augment voter turnout.
Trump made headlines on Sunday when he posted “I hate Taylor Swift” on Truth Social made waves on both sides of the political spectrum. Democrats were quick to avenge Trump’s comment in November, but the data on Swift’s potential impact on the race is mixed.
More than 400,000 people visited vote.gov in the 24 hours after the pop star endorsed Harris in a post that linked to the voter registration website. But it’s unclear how many of those people will actually support Harris.
An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Monday found that just 6 percent of voters said Swift’s support for Harris made them more willing to support the vice president. While only 13 percent of voters said it made them less willing to support Harris, 81 percent said Swift’s support made no difference, the poll found.
Trump’s post on Sunday kept Swift’s support in the news, but a second alleged assassination attempt quickly pushed the Trump-Swift feud off the top of the news list.
Swift has not responded to Trump’s recent social media message.
The biggest question surrounding Swift’s influence may be whether the singer will appeal to younger voters in the presidential race. This group of voters is already less likely to vote at all and, in a close election, could be the deciding factor in states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Georgia.
“The hidden power of her endorsement is that she has done basic voter education with her call for voter registration and her encouragement to learn about the candidates and make informed decisions. Both are critical steps in preparing for the election and may not be so obvious to young voters voting for the first time,” said Carolyn DeWitt, president and CEO of Rock the Vote.
Swift endorsed Harris shortly after the end of the first and perhaps only debate between Trump and Harris last Tuesday evening, arguing that the Vice President “is a calm, gifted leader” and said she believes “we can accomplish so much more in this country when we are led by calm, not chaos.”
Following Swift’s endorsement, political engagement on the internet skyrocketed.
According to advertising technology company Nexxen, Swift’s endorsement appeared to lead to a 250 percent augment in engagement around Harris. In addition, engagement on women’s rights discourse increased by 100 percent and on democracy-related issues increased by 150 percent.
“To me, that means the campaign is getting more attention and people are interested,” says Sham Mathis, Director of Research Insights at Nexxen. “They’re talking about it, they’re engaging with the content and they want to know more.”
“Some of this is probably being driven by Swifties, but I think this is about more than just fans talking about the campaign. I think it’s sparking new conversations around the campaign as well.”
Democrats are stepping up their efforts to reach out to voters in swing states to augment the impact of Swift’s support.
Over the weekend, Swifties for Kamala hosted a joint call with Voters of Tomorrow, a Generation Z-led organization that engages youthful Americans, calling unregistered college students in the swing states of Wisconsin and Georgia.
After Trump expressed his hatred for Swift on social media, the Harris team picked up the message: Signaling of views Both the support and any social media feud between Trump and Swift spoke in favor of the company.
Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, who represents Swift’s congressional district, sharply criticized Trump’s comments in an interview with CNN on Monday.
“I was at an event last night where we actually talked about Taylor Swift, and I think this is just more offensive and divisive rhetoric from the former president,” Houlahan said.
“I think people here in Pennsylvania are pragmatic. We are a purple people,” she added, referring to Pennsylvania’s status as a swing state.
Some Republicans, however, are not so sure.
“Trump has always sought public confrontation with celebrities. … He emboldens his culture-war-loving supporters and insults his critics, who find it beneath the dignity of the office and a reflection of a divisive, untrustworthy leader,” said Republican strategist Bruce Mehlman, a former official under President George W. Bush.
“A fight with Taylor Swift will have no impact on how voters view him, except for first-time voters who are probably too young in 2016 or 2020 to have paid attention and formed a strong opinion,” he added.
Others say it may not be in Trump’s interest to engage with Swift or try to rally his supporters to Swift if it risks people voting against him.
“Mobilizing voters who would otherwise stay home is key in this election. When Trump attacks Taylor Swift, he may motivate her fans to vote, but more importantly, he reminds undecided voters that he is not committed to his policies and is not serious about this election,” said Andrea Riccio, a Democratic strategist and founder of Velocity Partners.
