Former President Donald Trump has brushed off rumors of pop star Taylor Swift potentially endorsing President Joe Biden, pointing to a bill the former president signed that helped recording artists.
“I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists,” President Trump wrote in a Feb. 11 post on Truth Social. “Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will. There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money.
“Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can’t stand me!”
The Music Modernization Act was passed in 2018, updating many of the music industry licensing rules to ensure that songwriters, artists, and producers get a fair deal.
In 2020, Ms. Swift supported Joe Biden for the presidency, but the pop star hasn’t yet announced who she will back for this race, and it’s unclear whether she intends to endorse any candidate this time.
There was speculation that Ms. Swift may endorse President Biden during the Super Bowl on Sunday. However, the star did not make any political endorsements during the game.
The Sunday game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers featured Ms. Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs. There had been speculation online that the game was rigged so the Chiefs would win and give more momentum to a potential endorsement.
“We should be celebrating her, not having all these crazy conspiracy theories,” he said. “But this is the kind of thing that Donald Trump brings about.”
‘Keep Away From Politics’
In an interview with The Telegraph, Jonathan Shalit, chairman of InterTalent Rights Group, warned Ms. Swift against endorsing candidates in the current political climate, which he says is a “polarizing” time.“My advice to any singer or entertainer would be to keep away from politics,” he said.
“For someone to endorse a politician at the moment, it’s very, very complex, probably more complex than it’s ever been. And the reason I say that is a reflection of how complicated global affairs are right now,” he said.
If Ms. Swift were to make a political endorsement, she risks falling afoul of some of her fans, Mr. Shalit said, warning that the pop star could also be physically at risk because “there are a lot of extremists out there” who may try and do “nasty, unpleasant things to her.”
Ms. Swift could be “vilified by a massive number of people in a way she’s never experienced,” he said.
John Mark Hansen, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, told the outlet that celebrity endorsements have “no discernible effect.”
“The only story you could tell about Taylor Swift is that it might sway a few younger voters who don’t have established partisan leanings yet but I wouldn’t want to bet much on that proposition,” he said.
In September last year, the pop star called on her fans to register to vote, triggering 35,000 registrations at Vote.org.
The former president was also found to have an edge of 9 points in popularity ratings.
