If all the punny jabs during that 2023 Senate hearing about Ticketmaster didn’t already make it clear, there are plenty of Swifties in politics. On Tuesday, the Taylor Swift fan coalition Swifties for Kamala held a kickoff call on Zoom in support of Kamala Harris’s campaign. (The group is unaffiliated with the singer, who has yet to endorse a candidate in this presidential election.) Swifties for Kamala said that more than 34,000 people tuned in for the two-hour event, which featured multiple guest speakers and is now available to rewatch on YouTube. Carole King dropped by to describe Swift as “sort of my musical and songwriting granddaughter,†and went on to share some advice from her experiences door-knocking for politicians like her friend John Kerry. “Don’t be afraid, because there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. And I hope I’ve given you some tips that you will help,†King said, before closing out her remarks with — what else? — a surprise song. After explaining that she wanted to repay the favor since Swift covered her song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?†when inducting her into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, King launched into a short cover of her favorite Swift song, “Shake It Off.â€
Other speakers included politicians such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand … but also members of the fan coalition, such as official friendship-bracelet coordinator Lexa Hayes. Speeches throughout the night were stuffed with as many song references as you’d expect, from Warren pointing out that there are only 144 “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)â€s in a day to Markey describing Donald Trump as “Mr. Casually Cruel.†(And of course there was no room for hating on cat ladies à la J.D. Vance.)
Toward the end of the call, Swifties for Kamala promoted an “in my voting era†merch collab and an Eras Tour ticket giveaway in an effort to help Harris’s campaign reach more voters. According to Swifties for Kamala, more than 14,000 Swifties registered to vote, checked their voter-registration status, or reached out to encourage a friend to register to vote during the event. Attendees were also encouraged throughout the night to stay involved in organizing efforts (“Join our Discord so you’re not on your own, kid!â€) and donate $13 or $19.89. After the call, Swifties for Kamala tweeted the final amount raised, refusing to miss another chance to make a lyrical reference: “We don’t know about you, but we feel like we just raised $122,000 on the #S4KCall!!â€