In a heated rebuke to conservative critics of pop superstar Taylor Swift, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele urged MAGA supporters to “shut the hell up” about the singer’s recent presidential endorsement and political engagement.
Steele’s comments, made on MSNBC’s The Weekend, highlight the growing tension between Swift’s immense cultural influence and right-wing attempts to downplay her impact on the political landscape.
The ex-chairman’s frustration with the conservative response to her was palpable as he continued, “The fact that the Republicans and MAGA are triggered by this speaks volumes. They’re trying to play it down like, oh, well, most of her fans are under 18. No. This struck a chord. It hit a raw nerve.”
Swift, whose fanbase spans generations and crosses party lines, recently made tidal waves in the political arena with a decisive endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and a targeted push for voter registration.
In an Instagram post following the September presidential debate against former president Donald Trump, Swift announced her support for Harris, praising her as “a steady-handed, gifted leader” who could accomplish more by leading with “calm and not chaos.”
Newsweek contacted Swift’s press contact via email on Saturday for comment
The hitmaker’s endorsement was comprehensive, touching on Harris’ running mate Tim Walz and his record on LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and women’s bodily autonomy. Swift also encouraged her followers to register to vote and consider early voting options, providing links to relevant information.
The impact of Swift’s voter registration push appears to be substantial. According to Steele, “406,000 people clicked on that link. Now we don’t know if 406,000 people registered, but they went to that link, they clicked on it, and that tells you, at least she has the power to draw their attention to doing the Democracy thing.”
These political moves sparked immediate backlash from conservative pundits and MAGA loyalists, who attempted to minimize the significance of Swift’s civic engagement push.
Most notably, Vance dismissed Swift’s endorsement just hours after the debate, saying most Americans would not be “influenced by a billionaire celebrity.” Fox News host Martha MacCallum asked the Republican VP nominee about the endorsement, saying many women voters could be swayed by Swift.
“I don’t think most Americans, whether they like her music, are fans of her or not, are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity who I think is fundamentally disconnected from their interests and the problems of most Americans,” Vance responded.
The lawmaker’s comments soon backfired and were met with widespread derision after many social media users called out that Trump was also a “billionaire celebrity.”
“Y’all just need to shut the hell up about Taylor and just deal with the fact that you ain’t got that.” The hosts react to MAGA world’s meltdowns over Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris. pic.twitter.com/CGCLiXbB4L
— The Weekend on MSNBC (@TheWeekendMSNBC) September 14, 2024
Steele, however, is having none of it. “No one is mad at Kid Rock, no one’s mad about any of the folks who showed up as entertainment at the Republican National Convention,” he says, drawing attention to the apparent double standard in criticizing Swift’s endorsement.
The former RNC chair emphasized that Swift’s voter registration message was nonpartisan, stating, “She didn’t say this is who I’m supporting. She said y’all here’s a link, you go register to vote for who you want to support.”
“Y’all just need to shut the hell up about Taylor and just deal with the fact that you ain’t got that,” Steele concluded, throwing down the gauntlet to MAGA critics who continue to rail against Swift’s massive influence.
