EXCLUSIVE The inside story of why Taylor Swift spectacularly snubbed Kamala Harris on the campaign trail

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

Despite whispers and building anticipation that she could join Beyonce or Lady Gaga for the biggest political and pop culture spectacle in history, she never showed up on the campaign trail in support of Kamala Harris.
Despite a debate night endorsement of Harris in September that sent Donald Trump spiraling, Taylor Swift decided to sit out the remainder of the 2024 cycle.
The forthcoming book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, reveals new details about who's at fault for there never being a Harris-Swift moment on the campaign trail that could've captivated and motivated the pop star's legion of fans.
'Swift proved to be a special challenge. Staffers who worked on celebrity appearances were instructed not to make any outreach to her universe; Doug Emhoff was handling it,' wrote journalists Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager and Isaac Arnsdorf.
Emhoff, the authors explained, had an in with Swift's team.
'Before Harris became vice president, Emhoff had had a lucrative career as an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles,' they wrote. 'He and Swift's lawyer, Doug Baldridge, were both partners at the firm Venable.'
Emhoff, the authors wrote, had reached out to Baldridge to 'convey that the campaign would appreciate any efforts the pop star could make to help Harris.'
'Baldridge said Swift would do what Swift thought was best,' they said.
Taylor Swift surprised the Harris campaign by endorsing the Democratic nominee directly following her September 10 debate against President Donald Trump. Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was the only person allowed to do outreach to Swift's team
On September 10, Harris stepped onstage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a first and only debate against the GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump.
'Minutes after the debate ended, Taylor Swift surprised the campaign with a full- throated endorsement posted on her Instagram,' the authors noted. 'She shared a photo of her with her cat, Benjamin Button, and signed it "Childless Cat Lady," a dig at J.D. Vance.'
With no audience in the actual debate hall, the Harris campaign had set up shop at the Cherry Street Pier, an old warehouse on the Delaware River converted into art galleries and a performance space.
'Harris asked if she should mention the endorsement when she spoke to supporters at a watch party,' the authors said. 'They said that would sound too thirsty, but agreed to change her walk-off song to Swift's "The Man."'
The mood in the room was electric - and it only seemed a matter of time before Swift, herself, would make some sort of appearance along Harris' side.
Swift famously didn't step into politics until the 2018 campaign cycle - endorsing Tennessee Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper - and expressing remorse in the documentary Taylor Swift: Miss Americana for not doing more to help Democrat Hillary Clinton beat Trump in 2016.
She endorsed Joe Biden via social media in 2020 - though the COVID-19 pandemic and Biden's COVID-conscious campaign strategy meant that celebrity engagement was limited.
But the Harris campaign 'dedicated huge resources in the final month to massive rallies with celebrity guests,' the authors noted. 'Harris and Walz said they were bringing joy back to politics, and massive celebrity-filled rallies - Meghan Thee Stallion performed in Atlanta, Maggie Rogers in Ann Arbor, Gracie Abrams and Mumford & Sons in Madison, Wisconsin - were key to that strategy.'
Beyonce - who had been rumored to appear alongside Harris at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August - finally hit the campaign trail at a special abortion rights rally in the songstress' hometown of Houston, Texas in late October.
'But privately, some campaign staff raised concerns that the major rallies may not be worth the millions of dollars they cost to stage or the staff investment,' the authors said. 'There was scant evidence that the rallies were persuading voters or necessarily boosting turnout.'
Federal Election Commission filings later showed the Harris paid Beyonce's production company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, $165,000 for that event.
There were also concerns about some of the celebrity assignments - such as sending Bruce Springsteen, whose fans are predominantly white, to Clarkston, Georgia, where the city's population is 70 percent black and 50 percent foreign-born.
'The predominantly white press corps seemed more interested in Springsteen's performance than the 23,000 mostly black attendees,' the authors wrote.
Still, the celeb-filled Harris-Walz campaign carried on.
And still no Taylor.
In the final hours before Election Day, there was some evidence that a Swift appearance may finally be happening.
On Monday, November 4, Harris was heading to Pennsylvania and would door-knock with volunteers in Reading, the closest city to Swift's birthplace.
'Rumors flew that the town's most famous daughter, Taylor Swift, would join Harris there or perform at a last rally in Philadelphia,' the authors said. 'Low-level Harris aides did nothing to tamp down the speculation.'
Instead the final night featured performances by 2 Chainz in Raleigh, Christina Aguilera in Las Vegas and Jon Bon Jovi in Detroit, which the authors called 'another head-scratcher for many black voters.'
Reprising the role she played in 2016 and 2020, Lady Gaga was the main act for the final event, performing songs in front of the Rocky steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Emhoff had been told that Swift would do what Swift thought best.
'Nothing more than the endorsement ever materialized,' the authors said.
A spokesperson for Swift did not respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment.