From big names such as Taylor Swift, to online influencers, many different people have chosen to endorse either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris in this presidential election. Let’s take a look at who each party has on their side this year.
Kamala Harris has received many celebrity endorsements, especially after the Sept. 10 debate. For example, Swift took to her Instagram and posted, “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” over 11 million people liked her post. Another global popstar, Beyoncé, gave Harris approval to use her song “Freedom” for one of her rallies, although she has not specifically announced her endorsement for either running mate.
Tik Tok has a variety of creators, and some have taken a conservative route for their content. Bryce Hall, who has 23.8 million followers on Tik Tok, is one of Trump’s most recent endorsers online, and he even showed up to a recent rally in Las Vegas.
“We need Trump back, really bad,” Hall said as he walked on stage with his MAGA hat.
Some celebrities aren’t as upfront with their endorsement. Singer Chappell Roan has been getting backlash online for not strictly endorsing either candidate this election. Roan went to Tik Tok to clarify how she is not voting for Trump and she will “question those in power and those making decisions over other people.” She went on to speak about endorsements for elections and said that “actions speak louder than endorsements.”
As a society, celebrities and influencers can influence the decisions we make. Often, if someone famous posts in favor of a political candidate, their fans and followers could be persuaded to do the same. However, that is not always the case.
Such endorsements simply just might not change anything political for some people. For example, a 2010 study about celebrity political involvement said such endorsements had more influence on how others viewed the celebrity rather than the politician.
So does it do anything politically?
Yes, it does. Though people may not be influenced, millions around the world can be. After the recent news of her endorsement, Swift posted a link on her Instagram encouraging her current 284 million followers to register to vote. In the span of a day, more than 400,000 people clicked on the link. Especially with influencers and celebrities endorsing Trump or Harris on social media platforms, many young voters can be inclined to vote just from that.
According to Dataprop, Tik Tok users spend around “95 minutes on the app daily.” The content people consume on the daily comes from social media and most recently Tik Tok. This can influence people’s views and what people see can influence the potential to act on it.
