Donald Trump's mistake of engaging in social media manipulation about Taylor Swift and her fans allegedly supporting him could cost him dearly.
Risk assessors in the Trump campaign, if asked for advice at all, must be alarmed by their boss's latest adventure, who appears to have supported and shared obviously AI-generated posts regarding the alleged support from the biggest US and global pop star.
The role of celebrities in garnering votes for presidential candidates has always been significant. Today, it seems even more important than in previous campaigns, given the enormous potential of social media to share their messages.
However, the manipulation of support that Donald Trump is currently experiencing could potentially pose a greater risk than a poorly tailored pre-election foreign policy or financial platform.
The influence of Taylor Swift
There is no doubt that both presidential candidates, Trump and Kamala Harris, would gladly accept an endorsement from a star like Taylor Swift. An important part of her image is that she avoids political affiliation but is not apolitical because she knows that her voice on political issues has a big impact.
The "weight" of her support for a policy or candidate was measured by Newsweek earlier this year, and it was found that nearly one in five voters (18%) would support a candidate previously endorsed by a favourite American woman.
Whether it was due to Taylor Swift's call, or not, there were more than 35,000 applications for the election
Even more compelling was Taylor Swift's demonstration of her influence on voters last September, when she urged her fans on Instagram to register to vote via the Vote.org platform.
“I've been so lucky to see so many of you guys at my U.S. shows recently. I've heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are. Make sure you're ready to use them in our elections this year!" wrote Taylor Swift, with the attached link for registration on Vote.org.
Whether it was due to her call, which reached 270 million followers, or not, there were more than 35,000 applications for the election, and in the first hour following the Instagram post, Vote.org saw a 1,200% increase in applications.
Trump in deficit with celebrity support
Although hardly anyone among the politicians has personal experience with Hollywood, Donald Trump cannot boast of support from the dream factory, just as he could not in the two previous election rounds.
His celebrity camp includes stars such as Dennis Quaid, James Woods, and John Voight, but the bulk of his support comes from less famous stars from low-end productions and reality shows.
The Democratic camp is traditionally richer in celebrity endorsements
On the other hand, the Democratic camp is traditionally richer in celebrity endorsements, and after a period of indifference to Joe Biden, the candidacy of Kamala Harris has brought politicised stars back to voice their support.
Great credit for this shift goes to George Clooney, who was just one of many, but without a doubt, with a lot of influence, who contributed at a crucial moment with their call to Joe Biden to give up his candidacy and leave the race to Kamala Harris.
Given that Kamala Harris' entry into the race was also the catalyst for a new wave of celebrity support, Trump's attempt to get involved, even using questionable and AI-generated posts and risking new lawsuits, was not surprising.
Have the stars lost their political influence?
Celebrity support is still important to the candidates, despite the frequent assessment that they no longer contribute as much to the result as they did 10 years ago.
Millions of fans on social media judge celebrities more than politicians
“Celebs feel, more than ever, that the perceived cost is higher. Is it even worth it?” a political strategist who advises Hollywood stars told CNN recently.
Millions of fans on social media judge celebrities more than politicians, and their potential public involvement in the campaign poses a risk to their careers.
In this respect, the risk is greater than it used to be, as the polarisation of society around key political issues is more pronounced than it was ten years ago. At the same time, the sense of connection that fans feel simply by following stars on social media gives them the right to disagree with their political choices and, as a next step, perhaps stop listening to their music or watching their films.
Regardless, celebrities remain important "prey" for presidential candidates' camps. Donald Trump's behaviour in relation to the bizarre "Swifties" endorsement of his candidacy shows just how keen he is to curry favour with someone from the top of America's most popular.
