It is odd for the most powerful person leading one of the most powerful countries in the world to have a public feud with a pop star. However, when it comes to Donald Trump, oddness is the norm. He has been beefing with people from different walks of life. His specific personal spat with Taylor Swift is bizarre but not surprising.
Trump-Swift Spat: A Look at the History of the Feud Between Donald Trump and Taylor Swift
2012: Public Admiration From Trump
Swift was not vocal about her politics around this time. Trump was then mostly associated as a business mogul and reality TV show star. Nevertheless, in the first known social media interaction between the two, the future U.S. president wrote on Twitter, now known as X, in August 2012, “Thanks for the beautiful picture – you are fantastic.” The context of the tweet was not clear.
Trump also commented on the breakup between Swift and Kennedy Connor. He said it was “great news for Taylor!” Furthermore, after Swift was announced as one of the hosts for the Grammy nomination special for 2013, Trump also made a tweet in October 2012 and said that he was “glad to hear” that the singer-songwriter was co-hosting the event and described her as “terrific.”
2017-2018: Swift Became Politically Vocal
Swift faced criticisms for remaining silent during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Observers noted that she was playing safe and that her large fanbase and platform should be used to promote political causes. Moreover, despite expressing support for Woman’s Marches in 2017, several fans believed her political engagement was insufficient.
Particularly, in a now-removed Twitter post, Swift wrote, “So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched. I’m proud to be a woman today, and every day.” The Woman’s Marches were a series of demonstrations around the world that condemned the misogynistic comments made by Trump in the past. It coincided with the January 2017 inauguration of Trump.
Swift also supported the student-led demonstration March For Our Lives in March 2018. It called for heightened gun control and reform of relevant laws on gun ownership. She said on Instagram, “No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theatre. Or to their place of worship.”
Nevertheless, in October 2018, Swift endorsed Democratic Senate candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Copper during the midterm elections in Tennessee. She criticized the policies of Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn as “appalling” and expressed her support for LGBTQ+ rights and gender equality. Trump responded that he liked Swift’s music “25% less.”
2019-2020: Commentaries Against of Trump
Swift released the 2019 documentary “Miss America” on Netflix. It had a segment where she expressed regret for not speaking out against Trump in 2016. Furthermore, in an interview with The Guardian, which was published on 23 August 2019, Swift criticized Trump for thinking that he was running an autocracy and preventing people from disagreeing with him.
Furthermore, following the murder of George Floyd by police officers, Swift went on Twitter on 29 May 2020 and took aim at Trump. She condemned his response to the ensuing protests. She specifically accused him of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” throughout his presidency and warned, “We will vote you out in November.”
She also criticized Trump in August 2020 for Trump for his attempt to dismantle the U.S. Postal Service. She called it a “calculated dismantling” to suppress mail-in voting. Nevertheless, for the coming 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Swift endorsed Biden and Kamala Harris in October 2020. She underscored the need for leadership that supports marginalized communities.
2023-2025: Latest Interactions and Developments
Trump, in February 2024, claimed Swift would not endorse Biden because he had “made her so much money” via the Music Modernization Act. He also expressed admiration for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, despite calling him a “Liberal.” Trump shared on Truth Social in September 2024 an AI-generated image of Swift that falsely implied an endorsement.
However, in the same month, and for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election, Swift made an Instagram post to officially endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz. She criticized the use of AI-generated images in political campaigns and signed off her post as “Childless Cat Lady,” referencing comments made by Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
Trump, in response, threw a fit on Truth Social. She stated he was “not a Taylor Swift fan” and predicted she would “pay a price for it in the marketplace.” He also made another post on the same social media platform and wrote in all capital letters, “I hate Taylor Swift!” Trump and Vance won the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election in both the popular and electoral votes.
Swift was at the Super Bowl to support Kelce in February 2025 and was booed by some fans when she appeared on the stadium screen. Trump mocked her on Truth Social, writing, “The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift. She got BOOED out of the Stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!” Trump also got booed by the audience.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Gonzales, S. 7 October 2020. “Taylor Swift Endorses Joe Bide.” CNN. Available online
- Snapes, L. 23 August 2019. “Taylor Swift: Trump Thinks His Presidency is An Autocracy.” The Guardian. Available online
- Swift, T. “After Stoking the Fires…” X. Available online
- Tenbarge, K. 14 September 2024. “The AI-Generated Taylor Swift Endorsement Trump Shared Was Originally a pro-Biden Facebook Meme.” NBC News. Available online