When Taylor Swift broke her silence on politics, it upset many of her fans. The pop icon urged Americans to support Democrats and their policies and continues to do so. Kid Rock decided he needed to address it, and his choice of words made some people call him a sexist.
In the early stages of her career, Taylor Swift, who initially made a name for herself in Nashville’s country music scene before transitioning to pop, steered clear of political discussions. Back in 2016, she faced criticism for not endorsing any candidate during the presidential election, particularly from those who felt she should have supported Hillary Clinton.
In 2018, Taylor chose to dive into the realm of political activism by endorsing Democrat Phil Bredesen in his race for the U.S. Senate against GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn. Despite her backing, Bredesen lost decisively to Blackburn. Unperturbed, Swift continued to voice her political views, notably criticizing Blackburn in her Netflix documentary, comparing her to “Trump in a wig.”
“Taylor Swift would be the first victim of a Marxist [society],” commented Marsha Blackburn. “Under such regimes, women aren’t allowed the freedom to dress, perform, or entertain as she does. Intellectual property rights lose protection as well.” Swift only became more vocal in her support for Democrat candidates and policies. Her music video for “You Need to Calm Down” labeled critics of the LGBTQ movement as “angry, toothless, uneducated rubes.” A Vogue Magazine interview saw Swift elaborating on her political beliefs.
Reflecting on the 2016 election, Swift remarked, “Unfortunately, you had a candidate who weaponized the idea of celebrity endorsements. He claimed to be for the people, and I knew I wouldn’t help by getting involved.” She also addressed the criticisms she faced for not engaging in politics earlier. “People accused me of being calculated, manipulative, and deceitful, similar to the slanders hurled at Hillary Clinton,” she noted. “It felt like millions wanted me to vanish, so I did.”
Swift voiced her support for mail-in voting via social media in 2020. She joined other celebrities and politicians in critiquing President Trump’s stance against mail-in votes. She tweeted, “Trump’s deliberate dismantling of the USPS shows he knows we don’t want him in office. He’s willing to risk lives to stay in power.”
Interestingly, an exploration of Swift’s past social media revealed a previous statement from 2008 on MySpace, where she wrote, “Republicans do it better.” This perceived shift led Kid Rock to criticize her intentions, suggesting Swift’s political engagement was self-serving. He tweeted, “Taylor Swift wants to be a Democrat because she wants to be in movies…period. It looks like she’ll do anything to get there. Oldest move in the book. Good luck, girl.” His remarks were quickly labeled as “sexist” and “crude,” with responses from personalities like Chrissy Teigen and Cheryl Crow condemning his tweet.
Taylor Swift’s continued support for Democrats seemed to pay dividends, with a successful Netflix documentary and applause from A-list celebrities on social media. Stars like Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Chrissy Teigen, Karlie Kloss, and Anna Faris visibly supported her political posts. Contrary to fears, her openness about her political stance did not hinder her career and helped dispel speculations about her being a Republican.
However, conservative celebrities like James Woods claim they experienced the opposite. Woods alleged that his support for conservative causes led to blacklisting. He wasn’t alone; others like Melissa Joan Hart, Stacy Dash, Kristy Swanson, and Jon Voight have also voiced feeling targeted for their political beliefs, with Kelsey Grammer likening conservative celebrity status to having a “target on your back.”
