Pop star Taylor Swift has yet to publicly endorse a presidential candidate this election season, but her dedicated fanbase, known as Swifties, is actively supporting Vice President Kamala Harris. Recently, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kirsten Gillibrand, along with singer-songwriter Carole King, joined around 15,000 others on a video conference to launch “Swifties for Kamala.” During the call, participants shared their favorite Taylor Swift songs, including Senator Ed Markey from Massachusetts, who mentioned “Snow on the Beach.”
The Zoom event raised over $113,000, a number notably significant since Swift revealed in July that 113 is her favorite number during an Eras Tour concert in Zurich. Donations continued to flow even after the event ended.
This initiative is part of a broader trend of affinity-based online organizing for Harris, especially in the wake of President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race last month. The Harris campaign has utilized virtual events to quickly mobilize support and fundraise.
Entering August, Harris had a substantial cash advantage with $377 million, compared to former President Donald Trump’s $327 million, reflecting a consistent fundraising edge over her Republican rival.
On the call, King entertained attendees with a brief performance of “Shake It Off,” her preferred Swift song, and offered advice on effective door-to-door campaigning. She emphasized her long history of political activism, despite her fame. Warren highlighted the campaign’s focus on resilience and standing up to adversaries like Trump.
Other speakers included Representatives Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, Becca Balint of Vermont, and North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton. Although Taylor Swift did not attend the event and is not directly affiliated with the group, organizers extended an open invitation for her to join in the future.
Swift’s influence has surged recently as she has performed to sold-out stadiums and begun a high-profile relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce. The Democratic ticket had hoped to secure her endorsement, and there were speculations about Swift or Beyoncé performing at the Democratic National Convention, although neither appeared.
Earlier this year, Trump sought Swift’s support through a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, and even shared an AI-generated image of her endorsement, which was not authentic.
Swift has shown signs of political engagement, having previously encouraged her followers to register to vote, leading to over 35,000 new registrations via Vote.org. In 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden for president.
The Democratic National Convention last week featured several other pop culture figures, including Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, and John Legend.
