Taylor Swift's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz may turn more voters away than it attracts. A new poll from YouGov, released on Saturday, revealed that 8 percent of voters said the pop star's support makes them "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for the Democrat.
On the other hand, 20 percent of voters said they are now "somewhat" or "much less likely" to support Harris after Swift's endorsement. However, a large majority of respondents, 66 percent said that Swift's endorsement had no impact on their voting decisions. Shortly after this week's presidential debate between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump, Swift endorsed Harris.
Swift Change of Decision
In the online poll, 32 percent of respondents believe Swift's endorsement will benefit Harris' campaign, while 27 percent said they don't think it will make any difference.
Forty-one percent, or almost 460 people, said the "Shake It Off" singer should stay out of political discussions. Meanwhile, 38% felt she should continue making public endorsements.
Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said they aren't Swift fans, while 28 percent identified as fans, and 6 percent as big fans. The majority of "big fans" were women and registered Democrats.
A spokesperson revealed that 337,826 visitors accessed vote.gov after clicking on a custom link Swift posted on Instagram.
Overall, 46 percent believed Harris won the debate compared to 19 percent for Trump, but only 6 percent said it made them rethink their vote, while 76 percent said it didn't change their mind, according to YouGov.
Costly Endorsement
People had been eagerly expecting the 34-year-old Pennsylvania native's opinion on the election, especially since she supported Joe Biden in 2020. In an Instagram post, Swift playfully teased Republicans, sharing a picture of her cat as a reference to Republican VP nominee J.D. Vance.
Vance had previously mocked "childless cat ladies," and Swift humorously signed off her post in that way.
She wrote: "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election."
In a detailed message, she encouraged her followers to research the issues and candidates, stating: "If you haven't already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most.
"As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country," Swift wrote.
"Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site.
"It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation.
"It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."
Swift explained her decision to vote for Harris, saying that "she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to champion."
She further described Harris as "steady-handed" and a "gifted leader," adding that she was also impressed by her running mate, Tim Walz.
Closing her post, she said: 'I've done my research, and I've made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make.
