CNN Giddy Over Rumors Taylor Swift Could Show Up At DNC To Endorse Kamala Harris

CNN hosts were giddy Monday morning about the possibility of Taylor Swift showing up at the Democratic National Convention this week to endorse Kamala Harris.

"Rumors are swirling big time. Everybody’s talking about it, that two of the biggest names in music, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, [could show up]," said anchor Sara Sidner.

"Taylor Swift has previously backed the Biden-Harris administration. Back in 2020, she backed Biden. But we haven’t heard from her yet. Now remember, she is on tour right now. She’s in London, so she can’t be there tonight. She can’t be there tomorrow. She’s a little busy in London, but if her show ends on Tuesday, she could hop on a private jet and she could be there by Wednesday!

"So we will see. But Taylor also comes back to the US in October, so there is time for her to make an endorsement if she chooses to."

Inside sources? Wishful thinking?

While celebrity appearances are often more bark than bite, Taylor Swift is different. Her Eras Tour was large enough to impact the United States economy in 2023.

Polling from Redfield & Wilton Strategies earlier this year found that 18% of voters say they're "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a candidate if Swift endorses them.

Seventeen % said they would be "less likely" to vote for a Swift-backed candidate, while 55% would be neither more nor less likely to do so.

Now, those percentages seem high. We don't believe Swift could actually sway nearly 20% of voters to either side of the aisle. More likely, diehard Swift fans (Swifties) already agree with her politically-left leanings.

But that's not to say Swift cannot have an impact on the election.

Swift's influence over young Americans is unmatched. In 2018, nearly 65,000 Americans ages 18 to 29 registered to vote 24 hours after Swift rallied her fans to do so. 

Voter turnout among young voters remains unreliable. In 2020, 50% of people ages 18-29 voted in the 2020 presidential election. Only 39% of voters in that age range showed up in 2016.

Undoubtedly, if Swift could get voters under 30 to vote at a higher rate, and vote for a specific candidate, that candidate could receive a unique boost.

The question is whether Swift, the most popular artist in America, wants to again put her name behind a candidate. Her profile has grown substantially since 2020, when she posted a photo of baked cookies in support of Joe Biden.

Even if the majority of Swifties are liberal, Swift would undoubtedly lose some support by backing Harris.

Republicans buy concert tickets too.

As for Beyoncé, her audience isn't as large or broad as Swift's. Beyoncé and Jay Z have long branded themselves as advocates of the Democrat Party. Put simply, Beyoncé has less to lose by endorsing Kamala at the DNC.

Therefore, Beyoncé is more likely to show up in Chicago this week than Taylor Swift.