Everything Taylor Swift Has Said About Former President Donald Trump
When Taylor Swift has something to say, the world listens. The superstar has more influence than most of her fellow celebrities, so sharing her opinions on things like trends, people, or politics can have a major effect. When it comes to former president and presidential hopeful Donald Trump, she definitely has opinions — and, these days, she isn't afraid to share them.
Taylor Swift has not always been transparent with the public about her politics. When she found herself in the midst of a Donald Trump presidency, however, that all changed. Swift has spoken openly about the effect the 2016 election had on her and how it influenced her to share her views on Trump with the world. Since then, she has had quite a few things to say. The public may not know for sure whether or not Travis Kelce is a Trump supporter, but his girlfriend has made it quite clear that she is not, and she thinks it is important to speak on the topic in hopes that others will listen.
Taylor Swift has regrets over her political silence
Over the years, many fans of Taylor Swift have criticized the singer-songwriter for staying out of political discourse. In the 2020 Netflix documentary about the star, "Miss Americana," Swift opened up about the fact that she, too, disliked her past politically impartial attitude in the public eye. In one memorable scene, Swift urged her team and her dad, Scott, to accept her decision to speak out in opposition to Donald Trump. "This is something that I know is right," she insisted. "I need to be on the right side of history."
As one of the biggest stars in the world, Swift has teams of people whose job it is to ensure that she stays that way. Sharing political opinions as a celebrity will always please some people and anger others. In Swift's case, this means inevitably polarizing her massive fanbase. It is still important that celebrities use their platforms for good, but this scene shows just how difficult it was for Swift to come forward with her opinion about Trump. Her dad even brings up the fact that speaking out against Trump could put her in danger. Yet, Swift clearly has regrets about how she has handled politics in the past, saying that she "doesn't care" what speaking out will prompt the media to say about her. "I'm sad that I didn't two years ago, but I can't change that," she said.
The 2016 election changed her view of politics
Taylor Swift was right to say that she couldn't change the past, but she was able to change how she handled politics in the future. It's easy to see that Donald Trump's presidency had a lot to do with her decision to be more open about her opinions. In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Swift got candid and shared the impact the 2016 presidential election had on her. "The things that happen to you in your life are what develop your political opinions," she explained. "I was living in this Obama eight-year paradise of, you go, you cast your vote, the person you vote for wins, everyone's happy!"
Voting for a candidate and watching that candidate win the presidency gave Swift a skewed view of democracy in the United States. She explained that after voting in 2016, she was barreled over by the outcome and realized what it feels like to vote for a candidate and lose. In regard to the Trump presidency, she said, "This whole thing, the last three, four years, it completely blindsided a lot of us, me included." Swift explained that she had seen other artists, like the Chicks, receive backlash for their outspoken politics, and she had always felt the need to avoid that fate. "The worst part of the timing of what happened in 2016 was I felt completely voiceless," she said, adding that she would have "of course" endorsed Hillary Clinton had she been more confident.
Swift spoke her mind on Twitter
Most of us remember that the months leading up to the 2020 election were a particularly divisive and politically charged time. COVID-19 restrictions were all over the globe, the Black Lives Matter movement was sparking protests in the wake of George Floyd's death, and Donald Trump, characteristically, had a lot to say about all of it. Trump attempted to quell the protests when they were at their height, and in May 2020, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to make his case. He called the many folks involved in protests "thugs" and, now infamously, quoted police Chief Walter Headley, saying, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," insisting that violent action would be taken on protesters who chose to loot businesses, per NPR.
At the time, few people were quite as eager as Donald Trump to express their feelings via Tweet. However, Taylor Swift unexpectedly addressed his statements on X. "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?" she wrote on May 29, 2020. "'When the looting starts the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November." She ended the tweet by tagging Trump.
Swift fought back in 2020
When it came time for the 2020 election, Taylor Swift was ready to put her money where her mouth is. In her interview with The Guardian, Swift said, "I just wanna do everything I can for 2020. I wanna figure out exactly how I can help, what are the most effective ways to help." With regards to anti-abortion legislation that was ramping up at the time, she said, "I can't believe we're here. It's really shocking and awful ... Obviously, I'm pro-choice, and I just can't believe this is happening."
Just in time for the presidential election, Swift spoke to V Magazine and publicly endorsed Joe Biden. "I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year's presidential election," Swift said. "Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs." She elaborated on why she made the choice she did, alluding to her dislike for Donald Trump and the importance of equality.
"The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included," she explained, adding she feels it is important that government officials can respond appropriately and rationally to major health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 2024, Swift had yet to publicly endorse a candidate for the 2024 election.
Swift thinks Trump used the 'dirtiest tricks in the book'
Taylor Swift has made it clear over the years that she is not a fan of Donald Trump. In her own words, there was something in particular about the strategy that got the former president into office that struck a nerve with her. "It was the fact that all the dirtiest tricks in the book were used and it worked," she told The Guardian, saying that it went against the foundational tenets of democracy. During his time in office, she said, "The thing I can't get over right now is gaslighting the American public into being like 'If you hate the president, you hate America.'"
"We're a democracy — at least, we're supposed to be — where you're allowed to disagree, dissent, debate," she stressed. In her opinion, though, this doesn't seem like Trump believes in that. "I really think that he thinks this is an autocracy," she said, explaining Trump seems to want absolute power. Surely Trump hasn't shown Swift anything during his time out of office that is likely to change her mind. So, we have a feeling that Swift will continue to be Trump's political rival in the 2024 election and beyond.