What impact will Taylor Swift really have on the US election? - BBC NewsBBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warWar in UkraineClimateVideoWorldUS & CanadaUKBusinessTechMoreScienceEntertainment & ArtsHealthIn PicturesBBC VerifyWorld News TVNewsbeatUS & CanadaWhat impact could Taylor Swift really have on the US election?Marianna SpringDisinformation and social media correspondentPublished20 October 2024Noel Drake, a 29-year-old who lives in Utah, said she felt “very bleak” about politics before this year.During the 2020 presidential election, she felt disillusioned entirely.But Taylor Swift – and her fans – helped change her mind, she told me.“With this sense of community that I have established through interacting with other Swifties online, it has really changed the way I interact with politics this election cycle,” she said.After Swift endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris a month ago, Ms Drake started following a fan-led campaign group called “Swifties for Kamala". The group is not officially affiliated with the Harris campaign, but does keep in regular touch with campaign staff.Since interacting with other like-minded Swifties, Ms Drake has decided to get more involved in local campaigning in her home state.The BBC has tracked down dozens of voters like Ms Drake, who say posts from Swift and her mega fans on social media have motivated them to go out and vote, or get involved in activism. But just because you’re a fan of Swift doesn’t mean you’re going to vote like her, I learned.For the latest episode of BBC Radio 4’s Why Do You Hate Me USA, I’ve been investigating how one pop-inclined meme enthusiast Irene Kim - the co-founder of Swifties for Kamala - found herself transformed from superfan to political strategist. Have any of the tactics used by her and her fellow activists actually worked?Watch on BBC iPlayer (UK Only)Are Swifties Shaping America?The racist AI deepfake that fooled and divided a communityPublished5 October 2024How social media assassination conspiracies are uniting pro- and anti-Trump votersPublished22 September 2024How Harris campaign is engaging with SwiftiesPublished14 September 2024They were arrested for posting during the riots – will it change anything?Published27 September 2024Over the past month, I’ve messaged several accounts who like and comment on the Swifties for Kamala posts.Although some people were already Democrat supporters, others weren’t so sure.Take 27-year-old Destiny from South Carolina, who doesn’t want to share her surname. She said both her and her boyfriend are “not that political,” but that the Swifties for Kamala posts have helped support her reasoning for voting for the Democrats this election.“I really want a woman president who has similar values to me. This is my first election that has pushed me to vote for this reason,” she said.Even her boyfriend, whom she described as “moderately conservative”, has been swayed to vote for Harris, and she said it was in part inspired by her lobbying based on some Swifties for Kamala posts.Image source, Irene KimImage caption, Irene Kim is the co-founder of "Swifties for Kamala"Part of the appeal of a celebrity endorsement – and the political content generated by their fandoms – is that unlike paid-for adverts, this kind of user-generated content feels genuine.A study from Harvard Kennedy School that looked at the impact of celebrities when it comes to voter registration found their “authenticity” can be key when motivating people to go out and vote.Its author, Ashley Spillane, told the BBC celebrities are among the “most well-positioned members of society” when it comes to dealing with causes of voter apathy, such as “lack of information, lack of trust and lack of motivation”.“People know them from places outside of politics, which makes their involvement feel deeper and less self-interested,” she said. Within 24 hours of Swift’s Harris endorsement on Instagram, nearly 340,000 people had visited vote.gov, a registration website, using a custom link she created.While Harris has enjoyed endorsements from Swift, Beyonce and some other big-name celebrities, Trump is not without his fans either. Endorsements from Kid Rock, Elon Musk, John Voight and YouTubers the Nelk Boys may help him reach young men in the same way that Swift's endorsement has boosted Harris's profile with young women. Trump’s own committed supporters online also operate a bit like a fandom.Endorsements can backfire, however, polls show. A Quinnipiac University poll from late September found that Swift’s endorsement of Harris made 9% of respondents “more enthusiastic” about her candidacy, while it made 13% “less enthusiastic”. It also looked at how Musk’s endorsement affected respondents’ views of Trump - 13% felt more enthusiastic, while 21% felt less. Ultimately, we won’t know exactly what impact celebrities - and their fandoms - will have on this election until after November.In what looks to be a very closely fought election, it’s these groups of online supporters who could motivate voters to head to the polls – especially in swing states where the winner may be decided by just thousands of votes.Ms Kim, the co-founder of Swifties for Kamala, told me the group is targeting people in swing states especially.Peggy Rowe is in Arizona, one of the most closely watched states in the election. She told me it was Harris’s support for abortion rights that strengthened her to support for the vice-president.“I’m very passionate about reproductive rights and social media has further confirmed my opinions,” she said.While they're employing all the traditional political campaign methods, Swifties for Kamala has put a fan-specific twist on their efforts. Whenever they're at events, they give out friendship bracelets featuring political slogans like “in my voting era”. It's a nod to Swift's Eras tour, where fans have been trading Swift-themed friendship bracelets as a sign of being a true fan.Ms Kim said they’d begun face-to-face campaigning a few weeks ago, and have been calling and texting followers directly. They aim to have 22 million direct voter contacts in total by Election Day.The Swifties for Kamala group has raised over $200,000 (£153,000) for Harris's campaign, as of the middle of October, she estimated.SIMPLE GUIDE: How to win a US electionEXPLAINER: What Harris or Trump would do in powerGLOBAL: Harris or Trump? What Chinese people want ON THE GROUND: Democrats travel deep into Trump countryVOICES: 'I'm uneasy' - first-time voters weigh inPOLLS: Who is winning the race for the White House?There are some Swift fans, though, who have not been swayed. I’ve spotted comments from several Republican and Trump supporters who have chosen their preferred politician over their allegiance to their favourite pop star, and sent dozens of them messages too.Bri, who lives in Massachusetts, says she chooses to vote Republican still because “at the end of the day people need to do what’s best for them”.She told me she thinks Swift has such a devoted fan base, she should stay out of politics to be fair to all sides.Taylor Swift is “entitled to her own opinion,” she said, but:“She is the only celebrity who has that amount of pull that she shouldn’t mention politics during an election year."And although he didn’t get her endorsement, Donald Trump supporters did try and harness Swift’s fan electoral power, by making an AI-generated meme of Swift endorsing the former president. In fact, it was Trump sharing the meme on social media that prompted Swift to endorse Harris in the first place.Bri said she would “never not like someone over their political beliefs” - including the fans who are part of Swifties for Kamala. But that doesn't mean all online conversations are friendly.Ms Kim told me that getting into heated online arguments is a bit of a “rite of passage” for Swift's fandom. But the Swifties for Kamala campaign group now has guidelines to stop this happening, in part because they want to win over voters who don’t share the same views.“I think it’s always good to try to bridge the gap,” she said.Fandom Frenzies: Who’s afraid of little old us? is available to listen to on BBC Sounds nowRelated topicsKamala HarrisTaylor SwiftUS election 2024Donald TrumpTop storiesLive. Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator' as he hits back at 'disinformation' criticismStarmer backs Zelensky after Trump 'dictator' claimPublished16 minutes agoHuge sinkhole swallows up more of Surrey streetPublished34 minutes agoMore to exploreFact-checking Trump claims about war in UkraineHow a plan to land £100m of cocaine on a Highland beach went wrongGay kiss 'furore' to domestic violence: How EastEnders shattered taboosWatch: Trump and Musk discuss conflict of interestsJonathan Bailey's new character 'Succession inspired'Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundariesUS Politics Unspun: As Trump starts his second term, cut through the noise with Anthony Zurcher's newsletterJeremy Bowen: No sign of a quick peace dividend for Trump in UkraineFacing Islamist threats, Bangladesh girls forced to cancel football matchesElsewhere on the BBCExploring the world deep beneath our feetBrian Cox and Robin Ince journey to the centre of the Earth with help from scientists and comediansDiscovering the hidden gems of the Lake DistrictEllie Harrison, Chris Hollins and Denise Lewis explore the Cumbrian landscapeThe tale of a billionaire family, stolen relics and fake treasureA scholar turned sleuth hunts stolen relics, exposing a scandal of biblical proportionsCelebrating EastEnders finest musical momentsShaun Williamson - aka Barry - dives into the archives to celebrate 40 years of Walford warblersMost read1First pharaoh's tomb found in Egypt since Tutankhamun's2Huge sinkhole swallows up more of Surrey street3Stage kiss shouldn't make 1975 members liable - lawyer4Starmer backs Zelensky after Trump 'dictator' claim5Woman accused of killing child in 1978 bath scald6Fact-checking Trump claims about war in Ukraine7Raducanu targeted by man 'exhibiting fixated behaviour'8Man guilty over £1.38m watch heist in London9'I'll be back', Israeli hostage told family - who were then killed10How a plan to land £100m of cocaine on a Highland beach went wrongBBC News ServicesOn your mobileOn smart speakersGet news alertsContact BBC NewsHomeNewsSportEarthReelWorklifeTravelCultureFutureMusicTVWeatherSoundsTerms of UseAbout the BBCPrivacy PolicyCookiesAccessibility HelpParental GuidanceContact the BBCBBC emails for youAdvertise with usCopyright © 2025 BBC. 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Like others have said, some impact. But if Donold wins and we look back in retrospect, we will see that Taylor could have been much more active in the campaign.