Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has recently circulated AI-generated images on social media that imply Taylor Swift and her fans are endorsing his 2024 presidential campaign. The images, shared on Trump’s Truth Social account, feature manipulated photographs of women wearing “Swifties For Trump” T-shirts.
On Sunday, August 18, Trump posted a series of these altered images, including one screenshot with a satirical headline that reads, “Swifties Turning to Trump After ISIS Foiled Taylor Swift Concert.” This post also included a fake recruitment-style poster featuring Swift. The poster, styled after the iconic Uncle Sam image, shows Swift pointing while standing in front of an American flag and wearing a top hat. The text on the poster states, “Taylor Wants You to Vote for Donald Trump.” Trump captioned the post, “I accept!”
Trump’s posts about the fictional “Swifties for Trump” movement, which lacked disclaimers indicating their fabricated nature, led some viewers to believe the endorsement was real. He later shared a video of an unidentified woman discussing the fake headline and altered images. The woman expressed surprise at the idea of Swifties supporting Trump, mentioning a terror plot as a reason for Swift’s recent show cancellations. “I never thought I’d see the day that Swifties were rallying for Trump,” she said. “I guess something with ISIS happened. There’s a lot of terrorism going on. I guess she had to shut down shows because of it, and a lot of them are just saying, ‘You know, if Trump was in office, this would have never ever happened.'”
Taylor Swift did indeed cancel shows in Vienna due to a terror threat, but there has been no indication that this incident led to her endorsing Trump or sparked a notable political movement of “Swifties for Trump.”
In response to Trump’s claims, PEOPLE reached out to Swift’s representative for comment. Swift, who supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, has not shown any inclination towards endorsing Trump. During the 2020 campaign, Swift publicly supported Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. She announced her support on social media, posting a photo of herself with “Biden Harris 2020” cookies and a cover of V Magazine with the word “Vote” prominently displayed.
In her V Magazine interview, Swift articulated her stance on political issues, emphasizing the need for a president who values diversity, women’s rights, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. “Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first,” she said.
This endorsement came after Swift had previously broken her political silence in 2018. She had publicly opposed Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee senatorial candidate known for her stance against gay marriage and women’s rights protections. Swift discussed her decision to voice her political views in her 2020 Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” where she emphasized the importance of being on the right side of history.
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Earlier this year, Swift encouraged her fans to vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential primaries. In a March 5 Instagram Stories post, she reminded her followers about the importance of voting and provided information on polling places and times.
Despite Trump’s recent efforts to use Swift’s image for his campaign, there is no evidence suggesting that Swift supports him or his political agenda. Swift’s public statements and past endorsements align with her support for Democratic candidates and her advocacy for various social issues.
