Taylor Swift outlines her hopes for the 2020 election — and appears to blast President Trump — in a new Elle piece. Addressing her recent shift toward political candor, the singer-songwriter writes, “Invoking racism and provoking fear through thinly veiled messaging is not what I want from our leaders, and I realized that it actually is my responsibility to use my influence against that disgusting rhetoric.”
While Swift previously shied away from politics in interviews or on social media, she broke her silence by endorsing a pair of Tennessee Democrats — Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and House Representative Jim Cooper — in the November midterm elections. In the Elle feature, “30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30,” the pop star notes that she’s “finding [her] voice in terms of politics.”
“I took a lot of time educating myself on the political system and the branches of government that are signing off on bills that affect our day-to-day life,” she writes. “I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk, and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change. Only as someone approaching 30 did I feel informed enough to speak about it to my 114 million followers. Invoking racism and provoking fear through thinly veiled messaging is not what I want from our leaders, and I realized that it actually is my responsibility to use my influence against that disgusting rhetoric. I’m going to do more to help. We have a big race coming up next year.”
Swift runs the gamut from quirky to heartfelt throughout the piece, noting both her discovery of Command tape (“I definitely would have fewer holes in my walls if I’d hung things that way all along,” she says. “This is not an ad. I just really love Command tape.”) and how to process “serious illness” in her family. “Both of my parents have had cancer, and my mom is now fighting her battle with it again,” she writes. “It’s taught me that there are real problems and then there’s everything else. My mom’s cancer is a real problem. I used to be so anxious about daily ups and downs. I give all of my worry, stress, and prayers to real problems now.”
Swift, who issued her sixth LP, Reputation, in 2017, will co-headline the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards on March 14th.