🔎 Just how powerful is Taylor Swift’s endorsement?
🔎 Just how powerful is Taylor Swift’s endorsement?
Also: A bag of Cheetos disrupts an ecosystem and an alien kiss turns the VMAs political.
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Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris went viral in minutes, sparking reactions from both fans and critics.
Just moments after the debate between Harris and Donald Trump, Swift posted on Instagram to her 283 million followers, voicing strong support for Harris. “I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” she wrote. Swift cited Harris’ dedication to issues such as LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive freedom, while encouraging fans to do their own research and make their own informed choices.
Accompanied by a photo of herself holding her cat, Benjamin Button, Swift signed off her post as “Childless Cat Lady,” a direct dig at Republican Senator J.D. Vance, who had used the phrase to describe women without children.
The question now is… will her endorsement make a difference?
There was an immediate impact to her endorsement. Swift included a link to Vote.gov, the government-run voter registration site, driving more than 400,000 visitors to the site within 24 hours. The site typically gets roughly 30,000 daily visits.
Swift’s political involvement has a proven track record of driving voter turnout. In 2018, after endorsing Democratic candidates for Congress, voter registration spiked by 65,000 in 24 hours. Last September, a Taylor Swift Instagram story helped register more than 35,000 new voters. Swift's ability to engage young voters, particularly in key states, could prove pivotal in the 2024 election.
And while celebrity endorsements don’t typically sway political attitudes in general elections, Harris isn’t as well known as previous candidates, having entered the election so late. Swift’s popularity is also larger than your typical celebrity, so her endorsement could have more impact than most.
Still, Vice President Harris has a long way to go in winning over younger voters.
According to CNN, at this point in Biden’s campaign, he held a 28-point advantage among voters under 30. While Harris has gained a 15-point lead, it’s still a far cry from the numbers Democrats need to feel secure with this critical group. Even more concerning is the slowdown in Democratic voter registration in key swing states like Pennsylvania and North Carolina—places where Republicans have made notable gains in the last four years.
Swift’s influence could help close that gap.
In fact, the Harris campaign seems aware of this and quickly tapped into Swift’s influence, launching “Harris-Walz friendship bracelets” for sale on its website. Within hours, they were sold out, showing just how powerful Swift’s connection to her fanbase can be.
Of course, the backlash was swift (pun intended).
Donald Trump criticized Swift on Truth Social, suggesting she “will probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.” Meanwhile, Fox News and MAGA pundits mocked her influence, dismissing her fans as too impressionable to make informed political decisions. J.D. Vance said most Americans wouldn’t be influenced by a “disconnected billionaire celebrity,” though many pointed out his comment could also be referring to Trump.
Yet, the right’s fixation on Swift suggests they’re more concerned than they let on. While Swift’s endorsement might not convert hardcore Trump supporters, it could still make a significant impact in the 2024 election. Biden’s win in 2020 was secured by narrow margins in key swing states, and Swift’s reach could help drive turnout in those crucial areas. Even if only a fraction of her fanbase is moved to vote, that could be enough to tip the scales.
Dig deeper:
↪ How Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris could change the election end game (ABC News)
↪ Will Taylor Swift’s Kamala Harris endorsement actually matter? (Vox)
🗳️ Politics
➤ Trump-Harris debate brought relief to young voters in swing states
The voters we spoke to described themselves as “icked out” by Trump, “confident” about Harris, and “weary” of US politics in general. (Teen Vogue)
➤ Trump: No more debates with Kamala Harris
Republican nominee Donald Trump said on Thursday he would not participate in another presidential debate against Kamala Harris ahead of the Nov. 5 election, after several polls showed his Democratic rival won their debate earlier this week. (Reuters)
Dig Deeper: Why Trump ditched a debate rematch – for now (CNN)
➤ Young climate voters were tired of Biden. They’ve embraced Harris - mostly
Harris has ignited newfound enthusiasm among young climate advocates, but they want to hear more about how she’d expand on Biden’s climate actions and other progressive issues (LA Times)
➤ Donald Trump re-election bid being derailed by far-right influencers, allies fear
Republicans criticize emergence of 9/11 conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer in ex-president’s circle (Yahoo)
➤ Father of Ohio boy, 11, killed in accident with Haitian driver begs Trump and Vance to stop using son as pawn to 'spew hate'
"This tragedy is felt all over this community, this state and even the nation," said the father of Aiden Clark. "But don’t spin this towards hate” (People)
🌎 Around the world
➤ China to raise retirement age for first time in decades as demographic crisis looms
Lawmakers approved the draft proposal Friday, as the world’s second-largest economy struggles with falling birth rates and an aging workforce. (NBC News)
➤ Traveling to Germany is about to get more difficult
Germany has decided to enforce border controls at all its land borders. With the introduction of this temporary measure for the next six months, traveling in and out of the country might become a hassle for travelers—and also for those who live in its border towns and commute to other nations for work or other reasons. (Fodors)
☀️ Weather and Climate
➤ The fight against three major wildfires in Southern California: What we know
Weather conditions have given firefighters a better chance of preventing more damage from the blazes that have displaced tens of thousands of residents. (NYTimes)
➤ A bag of Cheetos created a huge impact on a national park ecosystem
A bag of Cheetos gets dropped and left on the floor. Seems inconsequential, right? Hardly. Rangers at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southern New Mexico describe it as a “world-changing” event for the tiny microbes and insects that call this specialized subterranean environment home. (AP)
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💰 Money
➤ Mapped: Youth unemployment by region
According to the International Labour Organization (youth unemployment hit its lowest level in the past 15 years in 2023, marking a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. But the figures vary significantly by geographical region. (Visual Capitalist)
➤ Navient banned from servicing federal student loans in $120M settlement
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accused the company, once one of the largest student loan servicers that partnered with the U.S. government, from steering borrowers to costly repayment options and illegally depriving them of their ability to enroll in more affordable income-driven plans. (Axios)
➤ Aldi hiring over 13K workers nationwide, raising pay
The average starting wages for Aldi store and warehouse positions nationwide will jump to $18 and $23 per hour, respectively, based on market and position, according to the company. (Fox Business)
⚕️Health and wellness
➤ FDA research shows teen vaping is at a ten-year low
According to the Food and Drug Administration, half a million fewer young people reported using e-cigarettes in 2024 compared to the year before (ABC News)
➤ Woman who had a heart attack at 24 reveals the firsts symptoms that EMTs dismissed
EMTs dismissed Hutt’s pain as a panic attack. Still, Hutt pressed them to take her to the hospital where she learned she had a heart attack. “It’s so important to advocate for yourself and also to understand what’s going on in your own body,” she says. (Yahoo)
⭐ Gen Z in the Spotlight
➤ Youth group asks Supreme Court to revive a landmark climate lawsuit
A group of young people asking the Supreme Court to reinstate their lawsuit after it was thrown out by a lower court. The case argues the government violated their constitutional rights by failing to curb the use of fossil fuels (NY Times)
🍿Pop Culture
➤ Sabrina Carpenter's VMA performance got unintentionally political thanks to an alien make-out session
In Sabrina Carpenter's VMA performance in 2024, she made out with an alien dancer and the internet turned it into a meme. (Glamour)
➤ The Dave Grohl new baby drama is especially disappointing. Here's why
Dave Grohl shocked his fans with a surprise announcement Tuesday that he fathered a child outside of his 21-year marriage to Jordyn Blum. (USA Today)
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