On Monday, a Taylor Swift fan organization announced it had raised over $40,000 for Kamala Harris’s campaign in response to Donald Trump’s social media post expressing his dislike for the pop star.
Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday morning, declaring, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” The “Swifties for Kamala” group seized this moment to fundraise for Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival.
Carly Long, a member of the group’s communications team, stated, “As soon as we saw the post, we knew this was an opportunity. Our team was ready to go with lyric response ideas and ways to tie in our calls to donate and volunteer.”
Long continued, “We use the memes to catch people’s attention, and then tell them how to turn that emotion into action. Swifties know that haters gonna hate, but we also know we can do more than just shake, shake, shake.”
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Although not officially affiliated with Taylor Swift, the fans have successfully raised over $207,000 since launching their fundraising efforts less than two months ago. Their inaugural fundraising call, attended by 27,000 viewers, featured performances by Carole King and appearances from Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Ed Markey.
Recently, Swift endorsed Harris and her running mate Tim Walz, praising Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader.” Following the Harris-Trump debate, Swift posted, “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
In addition to fundraising and phone banking, “Swifties for Kamala” plans to increase outreach in swing states and at remaining dates of Swift’s Eras Tour, which resumes in Miami on October 18.
Irene Kim, a co-founder of Swifties for Kamala, emphasized the group’s impact, saying, “We’re proof of the power Swifties have. We’re building off our existing fandom culture to make voting and politics accessible.”
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