False Claims of Backlash to Taylor Swift’s Endorsement of Harris

3 months ago 44

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Quick Take

Pop star Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Sept. 10. Social media posts falsely claim that, as a result, Swift’s ticket sales have plummeted and some of her concerts and a major endorsement deal have been canceled. The remaining U.S. shows on Swift’s Eras tour are all sold out, and she has not lost her partnership with Coca-Cola.

Full Story

In October 2020, just hours before the 2020 vice presidential debate, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift announced her support for the Democratic presidential ticket of then-Vice President Joe Biden and then-Sen. Kamala Harris in an issue of V Magazine.

Swift shared the magazine cover to Instagram, writing, “So apt that it’s come out on the night of the VP debate. Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot.”

Swift’s endorsement for the 2024 presidential election was much anticipated by both sides. Swift was among the rumored special guests for the Democratic National Convention. On the eve of the DNC, former President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of the singer endorsing him to Truth Social, writing, “I accept!”

But on Sept. 10, minutes after the presidential debate between Harris and Trump concluded, Swift took to Instagram to announce her support for the Democratic presidential ticket.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she wrote in her post, which has received more than 11 million likes.

Swift, who often has been the subject of political misinformation, as we’ve written, said in her post that she was inspired to make a public endorsement after Trump shared the AI image of her. “The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth,” she wrote.

But, once again, Swift has become the target of misinformation. Several social media posts have falsely claimed that backlash from Swift’s endorsement has caused her ticket sales to plummet and cost her a major sponsor.

A Sept. 16 Facebook post, which has received more than 25,000 interactions, shared an article headline claiming Swift has canceled tour dates due to low ticket sales: “Taylor Swift Forced to Cancel Eras Tour Dates Following Endorsement Backlash: ‘Only 2,300 Tickets Sold.'”

The headline was originally published on Esspots, a self-described “fake news” site, on Sept. 14, where it was tagged as satire. But other websites and social media posts have published the same or similar headlines without labeling it as satire.

A Facebook post from Sept. 16, for example, shared an article headline saying, “Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Faces Devastating Blow: A Mere 2,000 Tickets Sold Amid Backlash Over Controversial Endorsement.” And a Sept. 18 Facebook post, which received 6,700 interactions, shared the headline: “SHOCK SHOWDOWN: Taylor Swift Cancels Eras Tour Dates Amid Backlash – Only 2,300 Tickets Sold!”

But none of Swift’s scheduled tour dates have been canceled, according to her website, which lists concerts planned in Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis in October and November. All of those dates are sold out.

We reached out to Swift’s representatives for comment on the social media posts, but we didn’t get a response.

Other social media posts have shared headlines claiming Coca-Cola has ended the company’s long-term partnership with Swift, a claim which also originated on Esspots, where it was tagged as satire. A Sept. 16 Instagram post shared an article headline saying, “Coca-Cola Cuts Ties, Deal Worth $625 Million cut off From Taylor Swift Over Harris Endorsement, ‘We Don’t Support Her Endorsement.'”

A representative for Coca-Cola told us in a Sept. 20 email that this claim is false.

Swift did face some criticism from Trump and conservative media personalities following her endorsement. On Sept. 11, conservative commentator Megyn Kelly reacted to the endorsement, posting on X, “You can kiss your sales to the Republican audience goodbye, Taylor.” On Sept. 15, Trump posted to Truth Social, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”

Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.