When celebrities decide to express their political stance publicly, they may encounter both support and criticism. They could sway political elections or create awareness around specific issues, yet they also risk receiving significant online backlash.
For instance, when Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for the 2024 Presidential election on Instagram, the reaction from fans was mixed; she received online hate as well as a newfound love. Swift expressed her support for Harris on September 10, just hours after the second official presidential debate.
She shared her choice as a researched decision, adding that she felt it was essential to be transparent, especially after discovering an AI-generated video falsely portraying her endorsing Donald Trump. In the post, Swift called Harris “a steady-handed, gifted leader”, confident that Harris could guide the country toward greater success.
This post highlighted how Swift aimed to sway the election, urging fans to research and make their own decisions, yet ultimately respecting her followers’ autonomy. While the endorsement didn’t change the election results and Swift received online hate, as user prthd4lfe says, “do you know how asinine it is to think someone who entertains by singing and ‘shaking it off’ is a political guru and needs to be listened to?” this post goes to show how political endorsement from a celebrity could have potentially swayed the opinion of voters.
With millions of followers, Swift’s influence could potentially impact public opinion, yet the endorsement ultimately did not sway the election outcome as she had hoped.
However, with all of the positives of political endorsements, there are also negatives that can occur. An example of this would be The Joe Rogan Experience podcast hosted by comedian and well-known talk show host Joe Rogan, where Donald Trump was brought in for an episode.
Weeks after the episode, Rogan ended up endorsing Trump as his choice candidate during a rally in Pennsylvania.
So, is it better for a celebrity to endorse a candidate or stay quiet? With all of the pros and cons of the outcome, it seems there are more cons and negative outcomes than the pros when political endorsement occurs. The sudden change of celebrities’ opinions can lead to many issues. Celebrities risk losing followers, facing online attack, or even jeopardizing future career opportunities because of their political view.
