What Taylor Swift & Donald Trump Have Said About Each Other

Taylor Swift isn't particularly known for political views and activism, and there's barely any song in her massive discography that touches political themes (save for one or two). However, when it comes to Donald Trump, the Grammy winner makes an exception. While she has never dedicated a verse to the former president, she hasn't shied away from expressing her disdain for him, either. In return, Trump has made it clear that he's not the biggest fan of the "Fortnight" singer. In Swiftie language, you could say that the two have bad blood.

Ironically, there was a time when Trump fancied himself quite the Swiftie, and Taylor herself didn't seem too bothered by the mogul-turned-politician. "@taylorswift13 Thanks for the beautiful picture – you are fantastic!" he tweeted in August 2012. Months later, he posted yet another tweet in praise of the singer. "Glad to hear that @taylorswift13 will be co-hosting the Grammy nominations special on 12.5. Taylor is terrific!" he said.

It all changed in 2018 when Swift started breaking her silence about her political leanings. When she threw her support behind Democrat Phil Bredesen over Republican Marsha Blackburn, Trump's one-sided relationship with Swift soured almost instantly. "Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25% less now," he said, per USA Today. "She's [Marsha] a tremendous woman. I'm sure Taylor Swift doesn't know anything about her." On the flip side, Swift has never been exactly cozy with Trump, at least not where the public could see. In fact, she has publicly blasted him many times over.

Taylor Swift may have excluded herself from the narrative when it came to Kim Kardashian-related drama, but she decided to jump into the fray where Donald Trump is concerned. Initially, the "Cruel Summer" singer danced around mentioning him by name, but eventually, she revealed all her pent-up political frustrations, and they're all directed at the former president.

Speaking with The Guardian, Swift criticized Trump's tactics in securing the oval seat. "It was the fact that all the dirtiest tricks in the book were used and it worked," she said before going on to call out his strategy of branding any criticism of the president as anti-American. "The thing I can't get over right now is gaslighting the American public into being like, 'If you hate the president, you hate America,'" she added. "I really think that he [Trump] thinks this is an autocracy."

In the same interview, she admitted that she would have publicly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 if not for the need to protect her own headspace — a decision she now regrets. But come 2020, it seems that Swift was done keeping her lips sealed. She directly targeted Trump on X, formerly konwn as Twitter, following his controversial comments about the George Floyd protesters. "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? 'When the looting starts the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump," Swift posted, with the direct Trump mention and all.

Taylor Swift amped up her political engagement during the 2020 elections with her public endorsement of both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, telling V Magazine that she believed they were capable of leading the country towards progress. As for the 2024 elections, Swift has yet to make her endorsements public as of this writing, but Donald Trump has an idea of who she should vote for. 

Prior to the 2024 Super Bowl, Trump ranted on Truth Social that Swift should not support Biden, claiming credit for her career boost by enacting the Music Modernization Act during his presidency. "I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other musical artists," he boasted (via Variety). "There's no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden... and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money." He even threw in a shoutout to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, just because. "Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can't stand me!"

Legal experts, however, clarify that Trump's role was limited to signing the bill, which primarily adjusted how artists earn from streaming — a minor aspect of Swift's revenue, given that her real cash cow is her blockbuster tours. Funnily, Trump also shared his two cents about TayVis, admitting that he doesn't think that they'd end up down the aisle. "I wish the best for both of them," he told The Daily Caller. "I hope they enjoy their life, maybe together, maybe not — most likely not."