In his delusion Former President Donald Trump seems to think Taylor Swift might endorse his presidency, claiming he “made her a lot of money” and believing that because she once made country music, she would be forced to vote Republican.
But since 2018, the Eras Tour pop star has been vocal in her support of Democratic causes, most recently endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz for president and vice president in the 2024 election after a failed debate between Trump and Harris.
“I will be voting for Kamala Harris because she is fighting for rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend,” Swift wrote in her endorsement.
Over the years, she has criticized Trump for his handling of the Black Lives Matter protests, his attempt to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service, and, most recently, his brazen reposting of AI-generated images of Swift endorsing him for president.
Here's a breakdown of every time Swift and Trump have spoken out about each other over the past few years. no love story.
October 2018 – Trump says he likes Swift's music “about 25% less” after she endorses Democrats
Ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, Swift voiced support for Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen against Republican Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee. The then-president asked about Swift's position outside the White House.
“I'm sure Taylor Swift doesn't know anything, doesn't know anything about [Blackburn]”I like Taylor's music about 25 percent less now, right?” Trump said.
Trump also defended Blackburn's performance, saying she is “doing a very good job” and is a “tremendous woman.”
August 2019 – Swift slams Trump: 'He thinks this is authoritarianism'
In an interview with The GuardianSwift criticized the then-president for his approach to abortion rights and his presidency in general.
“We are a democracy — at least, we’re supposed to be — where you’re allowed to disagree and to differ and to debate,” Swift said of Trump. “I really think he thinks that’s tyranny.” She also described the country’s political climate as “so misleading to the American public that it says, ‘If you hate the president, you hate America.’”
January 2020 – Swift regrets not speaking out against Trump publicly
In it Miss America In the documentary, Swift criticizes Senator Blackburn as “Trump in a wig,” and is seen discussing with her team whether to vocally support Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections, saying she regrets not speaking out against Trump in the 2016 election.
“I can't see another ad” [with] “She’s trying to hide these policies behind the phrase ‘Tennessee Christian values.’ I live in Tennessee. I’m a Christian. That’s not what we stand for,” Swift said in the documentary, fighting back tears over her lack of opposition to Trump before. “But I can’t change that. … I need to be on the right side of history. … Dad, I need you to forgive me for doing this, because I do.”
May 2020 – Swift vows to “vote you out” in November
Tensions were high in the country following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. At the time, Swift came out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, even donating to the NAACP.
She also criticized Trump’s threats to violently suppress peaceful protests. “After stoking the flames of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, do you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” Swift wrote on Twitter. “When the looting starts, the shooting starts? We will vote you out in November.”
August 2020 – Swift slams Trump's 'dismantling of the USPS' and 'ineffective leadership'
Swift was not happy about Trump's attempt to manipulate the U.S. Postal Service during voting during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“Trump’s calculated dismantling of the U.S. Postal Service proves one thing clearly: He knows full well that we don’t want him as our president,” Swift I tweeted“He chose to blatantly cheat and put the lives of millions of Americans at risk in an attempt to retain power.”
Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 15, 2020
“Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership has seriously exacerbated the crisis we are in, and he is now exploiting it to undermine and destroy our right to vote and to vote safely,” she added.
October 2020 – Taylor Endorses Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
Swift appeared on the cover of V Magazine In the fall of 2020, he said we needed to “elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented,” referring to Trump’s handling of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election,” she said. “I believe America has a chance to begin the healing process it so desperately needs under their leadership.”
February 2024 – Trump says Swift won't endorse Biden because 'I made her a lot of money'
Trump seemed to believe he had Swift's approval after signing a copyright overhaul bill that simplifies how rights holders get paid when their music is played on streaming services.
“I signed the Music Modernization Act and was responsible for it for Taylor Swift and all other music artists,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in February 2024. “Joe Biden did nothing for Taylor Swift, and he never will.”
“There is no way she can endorse corrupt Joe Biden, the worst, most corrupt president in the history of our country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money,” he added.
June 2024 – Trump calls Swift 'extraordinarily beautiful' but 'liberal' in new book
In a book titled Wonderland Intern: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Beyond the Looking GlassTrump has expressed his thoughts on Swift, calling her “so beautiful” several times.
“I think she’s beautiful — very beautiful! I find her very beautiful,” he told the book’s author, Ramin Setoudeh. “I think she’s liberal. Maybe she doesn’t like Trump. I hear she’s very talented. I think she’s very beautiful, actually — extraordinarily beautiful!”
“She is liberal, or is this just acting?” asked Sotoudeh. diverse“Is she really a liberal? This isn't acting? It surprised me that a country star could be successful and she's a liberal.”
June 2024 – Trump questions why Swift endorsed Biden
Trump visited the Capitol and spent some time complaining about Swift and how she didn't support him. “Why would you support this idiot? He doesn't know how to get off the stage,” Trump asked, according to CNN.
August 2024 – Trump shares short AI-generated video titled “Swifties for Trump”
In mid-August 2024, Trump posted a series of screenshots and photos of the alleged “Swifties for Trump” movement to Truth Social. Two of the photos were real, showing Trump supporter Jenna Piovarcic wearing a “Swifties for Trump” T-shirt at a recent rally in Wisconsin. However, several other photos showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam with the caption “Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump.”
Trump posted the photos on his personal account, and commented on them: “I accept!”
When asked by Fox Business if he was worried Swift would sue him over the photos, Trump replied: “I don't know anything about it other than somebody else created it. I didn't create it.”
“All of these things are made by other people. AI is always a big risk in that regard,” he added.
September 10, 2024 – Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president after debate
Shortly after the Harris-Trump debate ended, Swift announced her endorsement of Harris, and criticized Trump and his campaign for posting AI-generated images suggesting she supported the former president.
“I recently learned that an AI that depicted me falsely endorsing Donald Trump for president was posted on his site. This really raised my concerns about AI and the risks of spreading misinformation,” Swift wrote in her endorsement. “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.”
September 11, 2024 – Trump says Swift will 'pay a price' for endorsing Harris
Trump called into Fox News the next morning to endorse Swift and said he was “not a Taylor Swift fan.” In fact, he said he “actually likes Mrs. Mahomes a lot more,” referring to the fact that Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, has liked pro-Trump posts on social media.
“I was never a fan of Taylor Swift. It was just a matter of time. She couldn't possibly support Biden. But she's a very liberal person, and she always seems to support Democrats – and she's probably paying for it in the market,” Trump said.
September 15, 2024 – Trump 'hates' Swift
In a surprise post on Truth Social Sunday morning, Trump declared in all caps: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” — a declaration that will no doubt ignite a war with Swift’s supporters. Trump’s post came five days after Swift endorsed Harris.
Update: This post was originally published on September 13, 2024. It was updated on September 15 to reflect Trump's new comments.
