Celebrities incite political excitement

As the 2018 midterms approach this November 6, celebrities from across the political spectrum are speaking up about their views on the country, leading to consequences ranging from major backlash to significant spikes in voter registration.

Rapper Kanye West has fully expressed his support of President Donald Trump, tweeting “We got Love” with a Make America Great Again hat and declaring that Trump is his brother. On the left-wing side of politics, singer Taylor Swift, a singer/songwriter who has never commented on politics in the past, condemned Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN) on Instagram, citing her opposition to women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. Swift endorsed Blackburn’s Democratic opponent, Democrat Phil Bredesen. Her post garnered over 2.1 million likes since October 7th.

The question of whether celebrities should get involved in politics is an issue that has been debated by politicians and journalists alike; however, the consequences of these celebrities’ posts are immense, giving voices to the American public through encouragement to vote.

Moreover, following Swift’s Instagram unexpected post, vote.org stated that there were 65,000 new registrations to vote within two days, increasing to over 210,000 across the nation in four days. Over half of these registrations were from relatively young voters, ranging from 18-19. To compare, there were about 190,000 registrations in the month of September and 56,000 in August.

However, both celebrities faced major backlash for their actions.

Kanye West was widely criticized on social media, as people accused him of ignorance, citing Trump’s racist remarks at past rallies. These criticisms eventually led West to temporarily close his social media accounts, though he eventually responded to these comments on Saturday Night Live and said, “If I was concerned about racism, I would have moved out of America a long time ago.”

Taylor Swift received backlash from President Trump himself, who told reports that he likes “Taylor’s music about 25% less now,” and accused her of not being knowledgeable on Blackburn’s career as a senator.

While these two celebrities have  currently been thrown into the spotlight for their political involvement, this is far from the only time celebrities have been involved in politics. Famous singers, actors, comedians, and athletes have all been heavily involved in the political sphere, endorsing and fundraising for candidates, speaking out about their views, and meeting with politicians.

Nevertheless, in the 2018 midterm elections, the voter registrations and changes in demographic support brought by Taylor Swift and Kanye West may have major influence over the outcome in races such as the Tennessee Senate race.

Article by MoCo Student staff writer Shevani Tewari of Richard Montgomery High School