Trump takes shot at Taylor Swift, reigniting their feud
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Taylor Swift (left) attends the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 2 in Los Angeles. Trump (right) speaks during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12, in Washington, D.C. Photos: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy, Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump on Friday said pop star Taylor Swift is no longer "hot," adding a new chapter to their often one-sided feud.
Why it matters: Trump has repeatedly targeted the successful singer since she publicly endorsed Democratic candidates, including his most recent opponent former Vice President Harris.
- "Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,' she's no longer 'HOT?'" Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social.
- Contrary to Trump's claims, Swift's wildly successful Eras Tour is estimated to have taken in more than $2 billion, the highest grossing tour ever.
- She has 14 Grammy wins on 58 nominations.
- Swift was also the most streamed artist on Spotify in 2024 with 26.6 billion global steams. Her most recent album was the first to have over 300 million streams in a single day.
State of play: Swift was reluctant to weigh in on politics during the 2016 presidential election, later saying she regretted keeping silent.
- She endorsed both former President Biden in 2020 and Harris in 2024.
Here is some of the conflict between the president and celebrity:
2018
Flashback: Trump said he liked Swift's music "25% less" after she made a political endorsement in Tennessee.
- Swift endorsed Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen over Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee's Senate race. Bredesen eventually lost the race.
- When asked about her political stance, Trump said: "Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25% less now, OK?"
2020
The intrigue: During Trump's first re-election campaign, Swift said Trump should be voted out.
- "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? 'When the looting starts the shooting starts'???" she posted on X.
She later endorsed Biden for president.
2023
Zoom in: After Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Trump said: "I hope they enjoy their life, maybe together, maybe not — most likely not."
Later that year, Trump said he felt "like Elvis" after a song featuring Jan. 6 Capitol rioters outranked Swift's music.
- The song, "Justice for All" was performed by men incarcerated for their roles in the insurrection. It did debut as No. 1 on Billboard's Digital Song Sales chart, but Swift had not been in the top spot the prior week.
In 2023 interviews for a book about his years in reality TV, Trump said:
- "I think she's beautiful — very beautiful!," Trump said. "I find her very beautiful. I think she's liberal. She probably doesn't like Trump. I hear she's very talented," he said. "I think she's very beautiful, actually — unusually beautiful!"
2024
Friction point: In August, Trump reposted AI-generated images purportedly showing Swift endorsing him in the presidential campaign. At the time, she had not made an endorsement.
- In September, Swift endorsed Harris, minutes after her first presidential debate with Trump.
- In her endorsement, Swift proudly labeled herself a "childless cat lady" in response to comments Trump's running made JD Vance made about Harris' lack of biological children.
- "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT," Trump said on Truth Social after her endorsement. He said she'd "pay a price" in the marketplace for her endorsement.
Go deeper:
