Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris has sparked conversations about the power of celebrity endorsements in this election year. With a highly polarized political landscape, the impact of such endorsements is under scrutiny.
Historically, artists like Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney have lent their voices to political candidates. But this year, their influence may resonate even louder.
Swift publicly endorsed Harris and her vice-presidential pick, Tim Walz, on Instagram following the recent presidential debate. Since 2018, her political influence has been significant, with her 2020 support for Joe Biden resulting in increased young voter registrations. Swift’s recent endorsement led to over 300,000 clicks on a vote.gov link, encouraging early voting and registration.
Dr. E. Michele Ramsey, an associate professor of Communication Arts & Sciences at Penn State Berks, highlighted Swift’s engagement with her audience.
“Her social media presence enables more engagements to the process, and information gathering and making decisions,” said Ramsey. “A lot has to do with her authenticity. Likeability is really important.”
Dr. Emily Jones, a literature professor at the University of South Florida noted her own students’ reactions to Swift’s endorsement, stating, “She endorsed the democratic process, and the idea that choosing the best candidate aligned with your beliefs mattered more for my students than just endorsing Kamala Harris.”
“When we talked in class about the endorsement, our students spoke not as people that are not strongly biased,” Jones continued. “I was not getting the impression that they were particularly influenced by her choice.”
Last week, The Economist and YouGov conducted a poll examining voter attitudes toward celebrity endorsements. Results showed that 61% of Harris supporters believe celebrities should endorse political candidates, compared to just 11% of Trump supporters.
On the Republican side, celebrities such as Kanye West, Elon Musk and Billy Ray Cyrus have shown support for former President Trump.
Kanye West stated, “I love this guy,” reflecting his enthusiasm for Trump.
However, celebrity endorsements can also lead to backlash. The Mexican musical group Maná recently announced they would not work with Nicky Jam after he endorsed Trump, stating, “We don’t work with racists.”
Endorsements have not always guaranteed success. Oprah’s support of Obama in 2008 was effective, but in 2016, despite endorsements from Clooney and Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton lost.
“There is no evidence that this thing (Swift’s Instagram post) shifts elections,” Ramsey added. “We do have evidence that moves registrations; if all of these people will vote for Kamala, it will make a difference, but we will never know that.”
