Feature photo by Jackson Thomas
Story by Bailey Brantingham
In the last few months, a number of public figures have fueled the presidential proxy war by announcing their 2024 political preferences. Former Republican vice president Dick Cheney publicly backed Kamala Harris, while independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. showed support for Donald Trump after he withdrew from the presidential race in August.
Some of the most talked about endorsements have come through Instagram, TikTok and X from names known less as political professionals and more as social media spectacles. Though candidates have been collecting celebrity approval since July, the biggest endorsement this year came just after the high-stakes presidential debate last month. Taylor Swift expressed her support for Harris to her nearly 300 million followers in an Instagram post, encouraging fans to do their own election research and reminding them to register to vote. Trump later matched Harris’ Swiftie vote with an Elon Musk endorsement and, more importantly, $70 million campaign donation.
Some say that Hollywood and politics shouldn’t mix — there’s a fine line separating the rich and famous from politics that many argue shouldn’t be blurred. Some celebrities say otherwise, though, as many famous names are now attached to a side in the year’s great divide: Harris vs. Trump.
In 2024, outspoken celebrities are nothing new. Pop culture public figures often invade political airspace during highly-publicized elections, outwardly voicing their opinions through social media posts or full-blown political rallies.
Who do celebrity endorsements affect?
Young adults tend to be the target audience for celebrities’ political messages, as first-time voters are more ingrained in social media and celebrity culture than older voter demographics. Many young people have yet to be fully politicized, and they may be easily swayed by spotlight figures speaking out about the election — whether it be by encouraging people to vote for a specific candidate or just vote in general.
“Since they (young voters) haven’t been out and don’t have a long history of voting, their political socialization is really still ongoing,” said Kent Syler, an MTSU professor of Political Science and Public Policy. “They are much more of a blank slate than someone who is 60 years old.”
How do they affect voters?
Celebrity endorsements can be a double-edged sword in politics.
On one hand, endorsements can encourage people to register to vote and turn out at the polls. Some celebrities display public support for a specific candidate, but the majority only step into the sphere of politics to encourage the public to cast votes in general.
“There is a youth surge going on right now for the 2024 election,” MTSU College Democrats president Katrina Aguilar said. “I don’t think that all of that can be attributed specifically to celebrity endorsements, but there is grounds to be said that people are probably motivated more when their celebrity that they’re consuming content of on the daily is telling them to go out and cast a vote.”
On the other hand, endorsements could lead to a large number of under-informed voters, casting votes for a candidate just because their favorite celebrity did the same.
“Most people, if you observe within the political sphere, do not actively participate in politics and they’re not really informed, either,” MTSU College Republicans president Ryan Robertson said. “The danger of that is they see someone that they know is popular, someone that they like, and when they see something vague like a political endorsement, that’s going to leave a very big impression.”
Do celebrities have a responsibility to use their platform?
In the modern social media age, the argument of whether or not celebrities have a responsibility to use their platform politically resurfaces every few months. Last month, Chappell Roan was the target of this battle after she refused to publicly endorse a presidential candidate.
Roan argued that she recognized problems in both candidates’ policies, sparking mass controversy online. Many called Roan “privileged” for taking a neutral stance, arguing that this political view contradicts the openly queer messages in her discography.
“I feel like she (Roan) shouldn’t have necessarily been forced or harassed into saying anything, because I love when celebrities can do that of their own fruition,” Aguilar said. “I do think that there’s a validity in saying that celebrities have a platform and I would love to see them use it for good. But I don’t think that anyone is necessarily required to endorse or use their platform in a specific way just because they have it.”
Roan took to TikTok last month to respond to comments regarding her public lack of presidential endorsement.
“Actions speak louder than words, and actions speak louder than an endorsement,” Roan said.
Early voting in Tennessee is open from Oct. 16 until Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 5.
Bailey Brantingham is Lead Lifestyles Reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact the Lifestyles Editor, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com, or follow us on Instagram at MTSUSidelines or on X at @MTSUSidelines. Also, sign up for our weekly newsletter here.
