A Timeline of Taylor Swift’s Political Evolution

At this point in her career, it was still very rare that Swift said anything political. Even when white nationalist groups dubbed her as their queen, she stayed silent. However, she did post about gun violence, and shared that she made a donation for the victims and for March For Our Lives.

“I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again,” she wrote.

In regards to the midterm elections on Nov. 6, 2018, Swift took to Instagram to finally endorse who she will be voting for. This marks her first official endorsement.

“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,” she 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,” she continued.

White supremacists responded feeling betrayed, telling Swift to stick to music. Trump even said he liked her music “25% less.”

At the time, the House recently passed the Equality Act. Then, to kick off Pride month, Swift created a petition at change.org and wrote a letter to her senator, urging them to support the Act. She also encouraged all of her followers to do the same, adding that she would keep track of their letters with the hashtag #lettertomysenator.

The “YNTCD” video was a major statement, which was partially released in celebration of Pride month. It featured several famous members of the LGBTQ community like Ellen Degeneres, Hayley Kiyoko, Swift’s longtime collaborator Todrick Hall (who also co-executive produced), Adam Lambert, the fab five, and many more.

The song also featured empowering lyrics like “You are somebody that we don’t know/ But you’re comin’ at my friends like a missile/ Why are you mad?/ When you could be GLAAD?” and “Shade never made anybody less gay.” At the end of the video, Swift asks fans to sign the petition for the Equality Act.

In an interview with The Guardian, Swift went off about politics, mentioning Trump’s presidency specifically, which she said is an “autocracy.” “We’re a democracy — at least, we’re supposed to be — where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate,” she said.

She also went on to explain that she stayed silent during the last election because she was going through a tough time in 2016. Her mother was sick and she was in a very public, stressful feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

She later on confirms that she is “obviously pro-choice” and that she would have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president if she did speak up.

After winning video of the year for “YNTCD,” Swift took the stage for her acceptance speech along with several stars from the video, including Hall.

“You voting for this video means that you want a world where we are all treated equally under the law regardless of who we love — regardless of how we identify,” Swift said. “At the end of this video, there was a petition and there still is a petition for the Equality Act, which basically just says we all deserve equal rights under the law. I want to thank everyone who signed that petition because it now has a half a million signatures, which is five times the amount that it would need to warrant a response from the White House.”

After that, she looked at her watch, pointing to an imaginary watch, as if something was overdue. A response, perhaps?

During her highly anticipated Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift unpacked her decision to speak now on local as well as national politics. “I can’t see another commercial [with] her disguising these policies behind the words ‘Tennessee Christian values.’ I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for,” the singer said in the feature-length film regarding her home state’s Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn ahead of the local senate race.

Swift called her out as a “flagrant enemy of feminism and gay rights” when she appeared on the Sundance Festival cover of Variety, considering Blackburn has voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act and LGBTQ-friendly bills. Aside from her bad blood with Blackburn, Swift fought back tears in the doc when she acknowledged staying silent during the 2016 presidential election, arguing, “…but I can’t change that.… I need to be on the right side of history.”

Swift then rallied the younger generation of movers and shakers with her battle cry “Only The Young,” backed by a children’s choir and fueled by her frustration following the 2018 midterm elections. “I wrote it after the [2018] midterm elections, when there were so many young people who rallied for their candidate, whether it was a senator or congressman or congresswoman…. I was really upset about Tennessee going the way that it did, obviously. And so I just wanted to write a song about it,” she told Variety.

Following the unlawful police-related killing of a black man named George Floyd in Minnesota, protesters broke out in the Twin Cities and set fire to the Minneapolis Police Department’s 3rd Precinct building. President Trump penned some threatening words to those in the streets, writing in a tweet that was flagged for “glorifying violence,” “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!”

But she swiftly reminded Trump which fires he’s ignited. “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,” she wrote.

“Racial injustice has been ingrained deeply into local and state governments, and changes MUST be made there,” she tweeted along with the BLM hashtag and three raised fists in various shades.

“In order for policies to change, we need to elect people who will fight against police brutality and racism of any kind,” the singer added. Swift also posted a link to an article written by former Pres. Barack Obama posted on Medium entitled “How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change,” which advocates for major changes to deal with decades of systemic racism.

After Swift announced on Wednesday (Oct. 7) that she will be voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the November general election, the now-President had a Reputation-era response.

“Taylor — Thanks for your support and for speaking out at this crucial moment in our nation’s history,” Biden wrote, before referencing Swift’s hit album opener, “…Ready For It?”

“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,” Swift told V Magazine about her support for Biden. “Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first. The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them.”

The pop star authorized the use of one of her songs in a political spot for the first time on Friday (Oct. 30), as her protest song, “Only the Young,” featured in Miss Americana soundtracked Congressman Eric Swalwell’s nearly two-minute clip of protests, inhumane immigration policies, police brutality, voter fraud, climate change and more that the nation has experienced since Donald Trump was elected in 2016.

“Up there’s the finish line. Our future is worth our fight,” Swalwell captioned the clip, encouraging Americans to vote in the days leading up to the election. “Thank you, Taylor Swift, for voicing what #OnlyTheYoung can do. Let’s run!”

The House of Representatives voted 224-206 to pass H.R. 5 and S. 788, better known as the Equality Act, which would create federal protections for LGBTQ Americans against discrimination on the basis of “sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity,” in areas including housing, employment, access to public accommodations (restaurants, bathrooms, etc.) and more.

“YES!!! Fingers crossed and praying that the Senate will see trans and lgbtq rights as basic human rights,” Swift tweeted upon seeing the news.

In the singer’s Instagram Story, she made a passionate plea to her followers about the election’s importance and cited all the issues voters have at stake.

“Remember to vote today! It’s Election Day in the United States. This year, more than any year in modern history, the Midterm Elections will affect our access to fundamental rights, basic reproductive healthcare, and our ability to make our government work for us,” Swift wrote in a text image.

She continued, “Your vote is your voice, which is why it’s so important that you use it. If you haven’t voted early, make a plan to vote before the polls close! See who’s on your ballot and find your polling place at vote.org.”

Vote.org’s communications director, Nick Morrow, wrote on X that Swift’s Instagram Story plea for fans to register to vote on National Voter Registration Day resulted in a tidal wave of new registrations. “Fun fact: after @taylorswift13 posted on Instagram today directing her followers to register to vote on @votedotorg, our site was averaging 13,000 users every 30 minutes. 13!” he revealed, noting the cosmic coincidence of the bump coalescing with the singer’s favorite number.

“Let’s just say her reputation for being a mastermind is very well-earned,” he added.

In a press release, the organization said it received a total of 35,252 new registrations on Tuesday, which marked the biggest National Voter Registration Day since 2020; in total, 157,041 eligible voters visited the site on Tuesday. The impressive figures represented a 22.5% jump in voter registrations compared to 2022’s numbers, including a 72% increase in 18-year-olds registering compared to the 2019 numbers and a 115% increase in that demographic compared to 2022.

“During the day on Tuesday we saw a 1,226% jump in participation the hour after Taylor Swift posted,” said Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey in a statement.

On her Instagram Stories, the 34-year-old pop star pointed out, “Today, March 5, is the Presidential Primary in Tennessee and 16 other states and territories.”  

“I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent YOU into power,” she continued. “If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.”  

In addition to Swift’s home state, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, Vermont and Virginia also held primaries for the Republican party. All the same states, plus Utah, had elections for the Democrat Party.  

“Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times,” Swift added, including a link to Vote.org.