Swifties strike back: Fan group raises $40,000 for Kamala Harris after Trump’s Taylor Swift jab

A fan organisation named "Swifties for Kamala" has announced a remarkable fundraising achievement, having collected over $40,000 for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign. This surge in donations followed a provocative outburst by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who declared on Truth Social, "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!"

The fan group seized the moment, leveraging Trump’s comment to rally support for Harris, the Democratic candidate. Carly Long, a communications team member for Swifties for Kamala, explained, "The moment we saw Trump’s post, we recognised it as an opportunity. Our team quickly brainstormed lyric-based responses and strategies to encourage donations and volunteerism," as reported by AFP.

Long continued, "We use memes to grab attention and then guide people on how to translate that energy into action. While Swifties know that 'haters gonna hate,' we’re committed to doing more than just 'shake, shake, shake.'"

Despite not being officially connected to Taylor Swift, the organisation has made a significant impact, raising over $207,000 in less than two months. Their initial fundraising event drew 27,000 viewers and featured appearances from celebrities like Carole King, and Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Ed Markey.

Taylor Swift has openly supported Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, describing Harris as a "steady-handed, gifted leader." Following the Harris-Trump debate, Swift tweeted, "I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them."

Elon Musk also weighed in on the controversy, commenting on Swift's post with, "I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life," a reference to Swift’s self-deprecating description of herself as a "Childless Cat Lady" in her endorsement post.

Looking ahead, Swifties for Kamala plans to expand its outreach efforts, focusing on swing states and coordinating with events linked to Swift’s Eras Tour, which resumes in Miami on October 18. Co-founder Irene Kim stated, "We’re leveraging our fan culture to make voting and politics more accessible."