Trump ‘hates’ Taylor Swift

The American pop star endorsed Kamala Harris after the presidential debate

Donald Trump has lashed out at pop superstar Taylor Swift for endorsing his rival in the upcoming election, Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a brief, all-caps post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, the former president and Republican nominee wrote: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” 

Swift, widely described as the world's most popular performing artist, announced to her 284 million Instagram followers last week that she would be voting for “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.” She described Harris as a “gifted leader” who “fights for the rights and causes” that need “a warrior to champion them,” along with her running mate’s support for “LGBTQ+ rights.”

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The 34-year-old accompanied her post with a picture of herself with a cat, signing it “Childless Cat Lady,” in an apparent reference to Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance’s quip from three years ago that the Democratic Party is run “by a bunch of childless cat ladies.”

In the post, Swift, whose fan base consists largely of young women known as ‘Swifties’, urged her followers to cast their votes in November.

In an acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, she reiterated the plea, saying: “If you are over 18, please register to vote for something that’s very important… the presidential election.” 

According to data firm TargetSmart, Swift's intervention triggered a 500% increase in voter registrations. 

Vote.gov saw 405,999 people referred to the official election site directly from Swift’s Instagram profile in the first 24 hours after her endorsement, according to CNN.

Harris’s supporters have welcomed Swift’s backing, with Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey stating that “Taylor Swift’s impact on voter engagement is undeniable.” Meanwhile, Republican voters have criticized her intervention, arguing that celebrities “aren’t policy experts” and that their opinions should not influence a person’s vote.

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“Before you let Taylor Swift influence your vote, may I remind you that 90% of her hit songs are about choosing the wrong person,” read a meme trending on X.

A recent YouGov poll indicated that most respondents felt Swift’s endorsement had either helped Harris’s campaign “a lot” or “a little,” with 41% believing she should not publicly speak about politics.