Expand / Collapse search
☰

Pollster: Taylor Swift endorsement may give Kamala Harris the edge over Trump

By Tim Skubick and David Komer
Published  September 23, 2024 8:46pm EDT
Politics
FOX 2 Detroit

Pollster thinks Taylor Swift endorsement of Kamala Harris gives her an edge

If this was a normal election and one of the presidential candidates had a comfortable lead, an endorsement from a prominent music superstar would be meaningless. But this election cycle is anything but typical

FOX 2 (WJBK) - If this was a normal election and one of the presidential candidates had a comfortable lead, an endorsement from a prominent music superstar would be meaningless.

But this election cycle is anything but typical - and the contest is tied in Michigan. As a result, pollster Bernie Porn believes the recent Taylor Swift endorsement might decide the race.

"It is very possible," he said. "If you look at the potential impact among younger voters, just the following she has, the Taylor Swift endorsement will have a tremendous impact energizing those voters to participate in the election."

A national company Resonate Data analyzes online interactions and it asserts that there are 2.3 million Taylor Swift fans who could be influenced by this major celebrity endorsement - and 230,000 of them live in Michigan.

After her endorsement within 24 hours, over 400,000 of her followers took her advice and clicked on a web site which then directed them to a site where they could register to vote.

Over the next two days a total of 726,000 went to the web site. It is not known how many actually registered.

But, of the 2.3 million who might be influenced, 79% are already registered and 828,000 are undecided - but more likely to vote now.

"They are more likely to vote because of the Taylor Swift endorsement and encouragement. And she has such a tremendous following and with a number of social media (following) she has," said Porn. "If she just communicates a few more times between now and the election.

"She's getting support from them and more than anything Joe Biden got, in terms of support.

The data company suggests that the Taylor Swift loyalists who are most likely to follow her lead, are women between the age of 22 and 37.  

Which may be part of the reason former President Donald Trump has said he "hates Taylor Swift."

"I think that is very understandable on his part," Porn said. 

Kamala Harris, left, Donald Trump right, center: Taylor Swift (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)