Did Taylor Swift Lose 30-40 Million Followers After Endorsing Kamala Harris?

Rumours have been swirling that Taylor Swift lost 30 to 40 million social media followers after endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 US Presidential Election. Despite the viral nature of these claims, they have been thoroughly debunked by fact-checkers, revealing the story to be false. The pop icon’s social media presence remains strong, and there is no evidence to support the claim of a mass follower exodus.

This gained traction after a viral post suggested Swift’s endorsement of Harris led to a dramatic drop in her follower count. Shared widely on platforms like Facebook and X, the post alleged that millions of her loyal fans, known as Swifties, had turned their backs on her. This fabricated story originated from a satirical website but was quickly picked up and spread by users on social media, leading to further confusion.

Image Courtesy: Variety

Data from Instrack, a reputable social media analytics tool, shows no signs of a follower decrease. In fact, Taylor Swift’s social media following has steadily grown, despite the political endorsement. The post-election analysis showed a normal fluctuation in followers, not the drastic drop that was falsely reported.

Between September 10 and September 18, Swift’s follower count remained consistent, with only minor fluctuations. For instance, on the day she made her endorsement public, she briefly lost about 24,000 followers. However, the very next day, she gained nearly 392,000 new followers, followed by another 78,000 shortly after.

Image Courtesy: Instagram

These changes are typical for high-profile social media accounts, especially after making political statements, but nothing suggests a mass follower loss as the viral posts claimed. The narrative of a follower loss appears to have been exaggerated for comedic or political effect.

One of the key posts fueling this rumour came from a Facebook page that received thousands of reactions and comments. It linked to a satirical article from The Dunning-Kruger Times, a website known for humorous and fictional content. 

Image Courtesy: Variety

This post, intended to be a joke, added to the false perception that Swift’s political stance was hurting her popularity. Fact-checking outlets, including Snopes, quickly debunked the rumour. They traced the claim back to satirical social media pages that openly admit their content is fictional. 

Websites like The Dunning-Kruger Times specialise in humorous takes on current events and should not be taken as factual news. As the dust settles, it’s clear that Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris has not significantly affected her online popularity, and the viral rumour was nothing more than a humorous hoax.

-Sushmita Sarkar