Taylor Swift supported Kamala Harris. Will it score a touchdown with voters?

Kansas City, Missouri – If you’re in a mob of Kansas City Chiefs supporters outside Arrowhead Stadium on game day, you may think the NFL invited Taylor Swift to do an early season halftime show.

Pre-game tailgates at the Chiefs’ home stadium are raucous, with fans grilling, blasting hip-hop, and discussing strategy and star players.

However, among the seas of people dressed in red, white, and gold, flags and signs bearing Swift’s name wave in the breeze. You’ll frequently hear more about the musician than her partner, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, you’ll also learn about Swift’s historic endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Swift’s support was by far the most sought-after endorsement this election season. She filled months of expectation as leftist Swifts organize, and conspiracy theories about her public character emerged among some on the right.

Swift’s connection to the NFL exemplifies American fanaticism at its peak: football, pop music, and, in recent months, political speculation over when she will formally endorse the Democratic nominee.

Swift supported the vice president in an Instagram post to her 284 million followers moments after Harris and former President Donald Trump debated, describing her as “a steady-handed, gifted leader.”

The cultural and financial juggernaut made no mention of Trump, save to point out phone photographs of her praising him, which the former president tweeted on Truth Social.

She signed her Tuesday statement as a “childless cat lady,” alluding to Sen. JD Vance’s remarks on those without children.

Swift’s appearances at football games have always caused debate, with some fans claiming she attracts attention to the sport and others considering the singer a distraction.

Swift’s endorsement of a presidential contender did not make her a less contentious presence at the Chiefs’ close victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Sheena Bryant, a 38-year-old realtor from Branson, Missouri, spent Sunday afternoon tailgating near Arrowhead Stadium. She is a Republican who says she appreciates Swift’s music.

“I wasn’t a huge fan of Swift’s endorsement,” Bryant admitted. She feels everyone has the freedom to support either party, but she is hoping that Republicans will win this November and take action on abortion and the southern border.

“Hopefully her followers will ask deeper level questions of why they’re supporting,” Bryant said, adding that she believes young women, a critical voting demographic this autumn, could be particularly convinced by Swift.

Swift’s association with Brittany Mahomes, the businesswoman and wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, sparked a lot of discussion among Chiefs fans.

While Brittany Mahomes has not formally endorsed a 2024 contender, she gained notice this month when she appeared to like a MAGA Instagram post.

Chiefs fans urged on Sunday that friends with opposing political views should appreciate one another. Jason Schuler, a 46-year-old Kansas City resident who works in development with disabled children, stated, “That’s what this country’s lost.”

“If my buddy over here has a difference of opinion with me, which we often do, it doesn’t mean that he’s wrong or I’m wrong,” Schuler told me.

Trump and Vance attempted to dismiss Swift’s endorsement last week. According to Vance, Swift’s wealth keeps her “fundamentally disconnected” from the majority of Americans.

In a Sunday morning tweet to his 7.7 million Truth Social followers, Trump wrote, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”

A Taylor Swift flag flies above automobiles and Kansas City Chiefs supporters prior of Sunday’s game versus the Cincinnati Bengals.

In an interview with Fox last week, the former president reportedly cautioned Swift that her statement could “pay a price” among music fans.

But if you wander around Arrowhead Stadium’s expansive concourses on game day, you’ll notice a clear evidence that Swift’s followers have not abandoned her: friendship bracelets.

Friendship bracelets were Swift’s signature adornment throughout her record-breaking Eras Tour. They’re a nod to Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own Kid,” where she sings, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”

Lauren Burwell, 33, the director of an adolescent behavioural mental health program, waited outside Arrowhead Stadium, waiting for a buddy before the Chiefs game. She donned friendship bracelets that referenced the Chiefs, as well as Swift’s song “Betty” and album “The Tortured Poets Department.”

She praised Swift’s endorsement and reposted it on Instagram. “The best thing about her is that she simply wants people to vote and do their research. So when I saw that, my immediate instinct was, ‘Thank you, Taylor,’” Burwell explained.

Lauren Burwell, a 33-year-old Kansas City Chiefs fan, wears friendship bracelets ahead of a game at Arrowhead Stadium.

Ryann Williams and Hilary Embry sat near a bar in Arrowhead Stadium after kickoff. They described themselves as “big fans” of Swift’s endorsement.

When asked about Trump’s post indicating he hates Swift, Williams described it as “really childish.” However, both women expressed concern that Swift may suffer violence as the former president’s comments against her escalate.

“Mostly, I hope Taylor is safe, you know? I hope it would not encourage any action against her. He wields considerable power, as does she. “It feels dangerous and scary,” the 36-year-old Kansas City environmental scientist stated.

“I was shocked, but I wasn’t surprised,” said Embry, a 37-year-old salon owner from Kansas City.

Swift has already discussed politics, and her backing of Harris is no exception. The 14-time Grammy winner supports President Joe Biden and Harris in 2020, and she expressed remorse for not participating in the 2016 presidential election.

Swift referred to Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, as “Trump in a wig” in her 2020 documentary “Miss Americana.”

Some of Swift’s involvement in American politics has not been voluntary. Conservative conspiracy theories circulated earlier this year, claiming Swift was part of a Pentagon scheme filled by Democrats to swing the 2024 election.

Others incorrectly claimed that her relationship with Kelce is part of a public relations campaign to benefit the Chiefs or the NFL as a whole.

A Monmouth University poll issued in February revealed that roughly one in every five Americans accepted a false hypothesis that Swift was involved in a plot to promote Biden’s reelection campaign, which he halted earlier this summer.

Kelce also faced criticism from right-wingers for appearing in a Pfizer campaign pushing people to acquire flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. He also worked with Bud Light, which attracted criticism for its cooperation with a transgender influencer.

Even while Swift inspires global discourse, it’s unclear how far her endorsement will spread in November.

Swift’s Democratic supporters have eagerly awaiting her endorsement. One example is the Swifts for Kamala group, which formed when Harris rose to the top of the Democratic ticket.

The primarily online organization amassed tens of thousands of social media followers, including a 34,000-person Zoom call last month attended by singer Carole King, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and throngs of Swift fans.

Could Swift’s endorsement make a difference in a close election? A Suffolk University/USA TODAY poll from May indicated that 9.2% of respondents stated Swift’s endorsement would impact their vote.

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama topped the poll, with 34.6% and 29.4%, respectively.

Swift’s support is unlikely to influence these segments’ votes. Still, it could have an impact in the key swing states that are likely to decide the election’s outcome.

In 2020, Biden won Pennsylvania, the home state of the “Blank Space” singer, with 50% of the vote, while Trump received 48.8%.

Resonate, a data and intelligence organization that analyses trillions of online interactions, discovered that 253,000 Pennsylvania voters, along with those in other crucial states, may consider Swift’s endorsement when casting their ballots this fall.

However, analysts have noted that celebrity endorsements have historically backfired. Swift has long encouraged her followers to register to vote. It’s another way she might have some influence in 2024.

According to General Services Administration data, Vote.gov received 405,999 visitors the day after Swift provided a special URL to voting materials along with her endorsement. In the previous week, the site received approximately 30,000 daily visits.

Kathryn Cramer Brownell, a history professor at Purdue University, told USA TODAY that Swift’s endorsement was not surprising given that the “All Too Well” singer has previously spoken out on reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and other issues that Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz have made central to their campaigns.

But will Swift persuade any MAGA supporters? Perhaps not.

Her endorsement is aimed at “attracting people who may not be as interested in the election or who are not traditional dedicated partisans.” “It could open their eyes and pique their interest in the campaign,” Brownell added.

And Swift’s endorsement does not usher forth a new era for the NFL or American sports culture.

According to Matthew Andrews, a history professor at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, politics in American sports can be traced back to colonial America’s restrictive hunting rules.

The connection extends all the way to the controversy that erupted when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and injustice.

“There are a lot of people who are saying, look, keep politics out of sports, right?” Andrews stated. “Sports have always been politicised. They’ve been political in this country since before it existed.”

Paige Parquette sat outside the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s student center, on a grassy campus about 8 miles from Arrowhead Stadium, with two friends.

Parquette, an 18-year-old freshman who swiftly identified as a Swift, said she wasn’t surprised by Swift’s endorsement because the artist previously endorsed Biden in 2020.

Parquette, from Maryland, is a Republican who intends to vote for Trump in November. She was not disappointed by Swift’s endorsement and was pleased to see the artist provide information on how to vote.

“I think it’s good for people to know how to go out and get registered to vote because more voters make better representation,” Parquette argued.

Students from the student center, library, and performing arts facility who talked with USA TODAY all mentioned Swift’s praise. However, they were quicker to focus on national issues, such as abortion rights, student debt, supermarket costs, and the southern border.

Another 18-year-old student, Neb Cockrell, admitted that he is not a big Swift fan. Nonetheless, they believe “it was kind of gross that she had to announce that publicly because there was AI of her saying that she was going to vote for Trump.”

The history major from Kansas City said they’re voting in their first election based on a variety of criteria, including abortion access, but “I’m not really basing it off a celebrity.”

Back outside Arrowhead Stadium, Burwell agreed while sitting under a tent in a crimson outfit. “I’m not influenced by Taylor Swift,” Burwell said of her endorsement. “But I’m glad she still did it.”

Swift attended Sunday’s game. She was seen cheering from a box as the Chiefs eked out a victory, unifying fans regardless of politics.