Taylor Swift is in her political era.
What started as a quiet stance on feminism has grown into a loud, unapologetic voice on everything from LGBTQ+ rights to voter registration. These days, she’s as much an advocate as she is a pop icon, using her platform to rally millions toward causes she cares about.
Taylor Swift performs onstage during “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour” at Caesars Superdome on October 25, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Swift is in her ‘political era,’ using her voice — and platform — to speak out about what she believes in.
Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Here’s a rundown of the “Cruel Summer” singer’s most notable political moves over the years.
Early 2010s: Initial Distance from Politics
Back in the earlier days of her career, Swift stayed clear of political talk.
As she explained in a 2012 interview, “I just figure I’m a 22-year-old singer and I don’t know if people really want to hear my political views. I think they just kind of want to hear me sing songs about breakups and feelings.”
Musician Taylor Swift performs during the 2010 NFL Opening Kickoff Presented by EA SPORTS in Jackson Square on September 9, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Lee Celano/Getty Images
But by 2014, she was ready to embrace at least one label, calling herself a feminist in an interview with the Guardian.
“As a teenager, I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities,” the songstress said. “What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men. And, now, I think a lot of girls have had a feminist awakening because they understand what the word means. For so long it’s been made to seem like something where you’d picket against the opposite sex, whereas it’s not about that at all.”
She continued, “Becoming friends with Lena [Dunham] — without her preaching to me, but just seeing why she believes what she believes, why she says what she says, why she stands for what she stands for — has made me realize that I’ve been taking a feminist stance without actually saying so.”
2018: The Political Breakthrough
When the 2018 midterms rolled around, Swift broke her political silence. She took to Instagram to endorse Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen (for Senate) and Jim Cooper (for the House of Representatives) against her home state’s Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn.
“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift wrote. “I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.”
Within 48 hours of the award-winning artist’s post, 169,000 people registered to vote, according to Vote.org, showing the “Taylor Swift Effect” in action for the first time.
2019: Rallying for LGBTQ Rights
In June 2019, Swift was out in full force for LGBTQ rights. She wrote a letter to her senator, urging support for the Equality Act, which would protect against discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Not stopping there, she asked her fans to do the same, adding that she would keep track of their letters with the hashtag #lettertomysenator. The queen of pop also made a Change.org petition in support of the act, and asked her fanbase to sign. “Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally,” she wrote.
2020: The Stand Against Trump
Swift took her political stance to a new level in 2020 when she openly condemned President Trump’s tweet about Black Lives Matter protests.
Trump’s post read: “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
Shortly after Trump took to X (formerly Twitter), Swift posted, “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November.”
In 2020, Swift also released her Netflix documentary Miss Americana, where she took fans behind the scenes of her 2018 decision to speak out against Blackburn — who she referred to as “Trump in a wig.”
2023: Driving Voter Registration
Ahead of the 2024 election, the “Look What You Made Me Do” singer has gone all-in on voting rights. “Are you registered to vote yet?” Swift penned on National Voting Day via Instagram in 2023. “I’ve been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my US shows recently. I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!”
According to Vote.org, her post led to 35,000 new voter registrations in a single day and drove 157,041 eligible voters to the site. “During the day on Tuesday we saw a 1226% jump in participation the hour after Taylor Swift posted,” Vote.org’s CEO Andrea Hailey said at the time. “Our site was averaging 13,000 users every 30 minutes – a number that Taylor Swift would be proud of.”
2024: Backing Kamala Harris
By March 2024, Swift took to Instagram again to remind fans to show up for Super Tuesday. “Today, March 5, is the Presidential Primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories,” she wrote. “I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power. If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.”
Fast forward to September, speculation over whether the queen of pop would weigh in on the 2024 race finally came to an end when she shared an Instagram post backing the Democratic Party‘s candidate for office, Kamala Harris. (Prior to Swift’s official endorsement for Harris, fans were begging the musician to speak out against Trump — particularly in the wake of his fake AI use of her image and amid close pal Brittany Mahomes‘ apparent support of the Republican candidate.)
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” her post started. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Swift signed the note, “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” and posted a snap of herself and her cat, Benjamin Button — a pointed reference to Trump’s running mate JD Vance‘s remark about Democrats being “childless cat ladies who are miserable.”
