Turns Out, Taylor Swift’s Endorsement May Actually Hurt Kamala Harris

Taylor Swift is the world's most popular pop star, selling out show after show, racking up mind-blowing tour grosses and setting record after record. And even she can't make a difference by sharing her political opinions.

Swift recently endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in an Instagram post, saying she'd done her research and would be voting for Harris. The decision to speak out publicly has received mixed reactions, to put it mildly. Some prominent public figures have criticized Swift for "gaslighting," while the media breathlessly reported that there'd been a surge in interest in voter registration thanks to her post.

READ: Danica Patrick Calls Out Taylor Swift For Insufferable Gaslighting With Kamala Harris Post

A new poll from YouGov though, suggests Swift's endorsement may have actually hurt the Harris campaign instead of helping it. What a twist that would be.

LONDON - Taylor Swift performs onstage during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at Wembley Stadium on August 15, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management )

Taylor Swift Post Doesn't Move The Needle For Harris

The YouGov poll, released on Saturday, said that just 8 percent of voters were "somewhat" or "much more likely" to vote for the Democratic candidate after Swift's post. But a remarkable 20 percent said they were "somewhat" or "much less likely" to vote for Harris since Swift announced her endorsement.

The overwhelming majority, 66 percent of respondents, said Swift's choice will have no impact whatsoever on who they vote for. When asked if they thought the endorsement would help or hurt, 32 percent thought it would benefit Harris, while 27 percent believed it wouldn't make a difference.

Perhaps even more importantly, 41 percent of respondents said Swift shouldn't talk about politics, compared to 38 percent who said she should make endorsements. People have had enough of celebrities sharing their political views.

Also, 34 percent of those surveyed described themselves as fans, or super fans of Swift's. The overwhelming majority of those 34 percent were women…and registered Democrats anyway. 

This is the problem for Swift when she decides to talk about politics, especially when her opinions are so uneducated: she's preaching to the choir. Her fans are young women, especially single women, who overwhelmingly lean to the left regardless. But potential new listeners could be easily turned off by Swift sharing her political views. The majority of respondents who answered specifically did not want her to talk about politics, after all.

So what did she gain by endorsing Harris? Her left-wing fans would have voted for Harris anyway, she may have turned off potential listeners, or lost standing with fans on the fence about her music.

Swift's so big that any harm from the endorsement is unlikely to matter. But she, and Harris, gained nothing from it. C for effort though.