Since US President Joe Biden withdrew from the campaign on July 21, support groups for new Democratic candidate Kamala Harris have flourished on the internet, but the “Swifties” group is one of the most prominent.
At the launch event, American singer and author Carole King encouraged fans to campaign, as did Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand.
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“I’m a Swiftie, Taylor and I are friends… if any of you are thinking about getting involved, knocking on doors or making phone calls but are a little nervous about what you might say, trust me: there is nothing to lose and everything to gain,” said Carole King, known for her songs “I Feel The Earth Move” and “You’ve Got A Friend.”
“Swifties are the leaders who will win this election,” added Democratic Senator Ed Markey.
Targeted
With her status as a global star, and fans known for their fervor in defending her on social networks — she has 284 million followers on Instagram — a possible Taylor Swift stance during the campaign would be widely relayed. But the singer, Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2023, is known for her reluctance to enter the political arena. She is not affiliated with the group “Swifties for Kamala.”
Having remained silent in 2016, during the presidential election won by Donald Trump, she ended up supporting Democratic candidates in the 2018 legislative elections in her state of Tennessee to oppose a very conservative Republican elected official, Marsha Blackburn.
Taylor Swift went on to endorse Joe Biden in 2020 and champion messages of openness towards LGBT+ communities in her songs, also condemning the decision of the US Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, to overturn the guarantee of the right to abortion at the federal level in the United States.
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Now considered to be leaning towards the Democrats, Taylor Swift is regularly the target of conspiracy theories carried by the extreme right and supporters of Donald Trump.
Launched by a fan of the singer, Emerald Medrano, the “Swifties for Kamala”, who have 72,000 subscribers on X and nearly 50,000 on Instagram, assure that they are not looking for possible support from Taylor Swift.
On its website, the group advocates for the protection of LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights, support for migrants and serious consideration of climate change, as well as “a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.”
