Immediately after the presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump, American icon and pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Harris on all of Swift’s social media platforms.
This was considered to be a big win for the Harris campaign as it rallied the Democratic base and hoped to sway women to vote for the vice president. However, just like the debate, it had little to no impact on voters.
According to a YouGov poll conducted on Oct. 28, 2024, just 7% of Americans say they ever supported a presidential candidate because a celebrity did. Celebrities had a tiny impact on the last presidential election.
Why is that?
With all the cache that comes with being a celebrity, why did that not resonate with the 152.2 million Americans who voted?
Celebrities do not understand the issues voters care about. Swift and other celebrities supported Harris because of her stance on abortion. According to a Pew Research Center poll conducted on Sep. 9, 2024, only 51 percent of Americans said that abortion was a very important issue of the election. The poll also reflects that 81 percent of voters said that the economy was the primary issue of the presidential race.
That is what won it for Trump.
While the celebrity endorsements of Elon Musk, Dana White and Joe Rogan helped encourage young men to vote for the 47th President of the United States, it was the campaign’s ability to relate to all of Americans. The 77 million Americans who voted for Trump felt like they were being heard and understood when they shared their concerns buying groceries, gas and a home.
Despite the glamour of a celebrity endorsement, that no longer moves the needle in an election. The Democratic Party, while strong in celebrity ammunition, miscalculated what would hit home for the American voter. The Republican Party, while traditionally not being perceived as the working class party, has now rebranded thanks to Trump.
Understanding and addressing the issue of the pocketbooks of millions of Americans won the election, and in turn gave the multi-billionaire from New York his second term in the Oval Office.
