Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Taylor Swift after she endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, signaling a significant clash between the former president and the pop superstar. Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” without providing any further context or explanation. This comment marks an escalation in tensions between Trump and Swift, who has been vocal about her political views in recent years.
Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris came after Harris’ strong debate performance against Trump on September 10. In her Instagram post, Swift expressed her support for Harris, describing her as a “steady-handed, gifted leader.” She emphasized the need for leadership characterized by calm rather than chaos, aligning this sentiment with Harris’ qualities. Swift also encouraged her followers to get involved in the democratic process, linking to Vote.gov, which led to a massive surge in voter registration efforts, driving over 400,000 visitors to the site within a single day.
In her endorsement, Swift criticized Trump directly, mentioning his previous use of a fake, AI-generated image of her to falsely suggest she was endorsing him. Swift’s outspoken political stance and her large platform have made her a target for Trump and his supporters. Following her public support for Harris, Trump dismissed Swift’s influence, claiming, “I was not a Taylor Swift fan.” He went on to suggest that Swift might “pay a price for it in the marketplace” due to her political endorsements, implying that her decision to support Harris could have negative repercussions for her career.
Responding to Trump’s outburst, former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to offer her own critique of Trump. Quoting his comment about Swift, Cheney called Trump “the smallest man who ever lived,” referencing a track from Swift’s recent album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” Cheney, who has been vocal in her criticism of Trump, used this opportunity to draw a contrast between the former president’s vitriolic rhetoric and Swift’s advocacy for the values she believes in.
Trump’s animosity towards Swift marks a stark contrast to his earlier remarks about the singer. In the past, Trump had expressed admiration for Swift, particularly for her appearance. In the book “Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass,” he was quoted saying, “I think she’s beautiful — very beautiful! I find her very beautiful. I think she’s liberal. She probably doesn’t like Trump. I hear she’s very talented.” However, Swift’s increasing involvement in political discourse, particularly her endorsement of Democratic candidates, has seemingly soured Trump’s view of her.
During a recent interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” Trump contrasted Swift with Brittany Mahomes, wife of NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a known Trump supporter. He praised Brittany, saying, “Well I actually like Mrs. Mahomes much better. If you want to know the truth. She’s a big Trump fan. I was not a Taylor Swift fan.” Trump emphasized his preference for Brittany Mahomes over Swift, suggesting that Swift’s liberal stance makes her less favorable in his eyes.
