They don't call it the Trump curse for nothing.
Despite predictions that Donald Trump would lose support from attacking Taylor Swift, the pop star's endorsement of Kamala Harris has actually cost her at least 2 million listeners on the streaming platform Spotify.
Chartmetric, a music streaming analytics company, shared the startling data with The Wrap.
On September 10, the night Swift waded into the presidential race, the singer had 94 million Spotify listeners in the past month. But two weeks later, that number had fallen to 91.9 million.
Meanwhile, Swift also experienced a 10% drop in YouTube views after her endorsement, which came immediately after the presidential debate on September 10 following months of anticipation and some prodding from the left.
Swift cited Harris' views on social issues, including abortion, and signed the message as a "childless cat lady," a snarky dig at J.D. Vance.
“I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift said. “I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
Trump was later criticized for writing, "I hate Taylor Swift!" on Truth Social, with some warning he would alienate voters.
Bu public polling has suggested Swift is not as popular or influential as commonly believed. A recent NBC news poll found that Swift's favorability among registered voters fell from 40% in 2023 to 33% this year.
The drop likely reflects the impact of Swift's intervention in an extremely polarized presidential race, which polls have shown is neck-and-neck. Indeed, according to NBC, Swift is facing a Republican backlash, with 47% of Republicans sharing negative views of Swift, compared to 26% the year before.
But independents also view her less favorably, with 26% saying they like Swift compared to 34% in 2023. On the other hand, 58% of Democrats view Swift favorably, an increase from 53% last year.
Other polls have shown that most voters are unfazed by Swift's endorsement, with an Ipsos/ABC News poll finding that 81% of voters do not care.
While no one can question Swift's success as a musician, her recent involvement in electoral politics is clearly a risky business decision.
Meanwhile, it's unclear that Swift's endorsement will benefit Harris, who has seen a cooling in popularity since her summer of "joy" ended. So far, there is no sign that Swift has altered that trajectory.
