Republican views of Taylor Swift have significantly decreased compared to last year, according to a new NBC News poll. Following her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, 47% of Republicans now view Swift negatively, up from 26% in 2023. Only 12% of Republicans report positive attitudes towards the singer, down from 28% last year. On the other hand, 58% of Democrats view Swift in a positive light, a slight increase from 53% in 2023. Among independents, 26% have a positive attitude towards Swift, a decrease from 34% last year. This shift in Republican views has resulted in a decrease in Swift’s overall favorability rating among registered voters from 40% to 33%.
Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates, the Democratic pollster who conducted the survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, said that Swift’s personal ratings have dropped significantly among Republicans. Horwitt commented, “Her personal ratings have dropped from +2 to -35 among Republicans.” He also noted that it is a lesson that it is better to be a tortured poet than a tortured figure in the political arena. Swift endorsed Harris on Instagram after her debate with former President Donald Trump, calling Harris a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and criticizing Trump’s use of an AI-generated image of her endorsing him. Trump responded on Truth Social, writing “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”
Harris has embraced Swift’s endorsement, playing her hit song “The Man” at a post-debate party and praising her courage in an interview. The national NBC News poll was conducted from September 13-17 among 1,000 registered voters, with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The poll showed a significant shift in favorability towards Swift, particularly among Republicans, following her endorsement of Harris and criticism of Trump. As the political climate continues to be divisive and polarized, Swift’s involvement in endorsing political candidates has clearly had an impact on her public image.
