Former President Donald Trump unveiled a new line of merchandise Tuesday that takes a page from Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour. As one could expect, the move is stirring quite a reaction within Swift’s devoted fan base of Swifties.
On September 12, the Trump re-election campaign rolled out “Trump Era” T-shirts. The shirts feature a grid of colorful Trump photos in a design unmistakably reminiscent of Swift’s Eras Tour T-shirts. They go for $36, and the campaign urges Swifties to join Team Trump by purchasing one. Many believe this is an overt attempt to harness some of the same widespread popularity Swift has accrued with her perennial devotion.
That seemed especially suspicious in its timing. Less than a week before, Taylor Swift announced her public support for Kamala Harris’s presidential run. Swift has been very vocal about her politics, using her public platforms to express support for candidate piping that seems to align with her values.
Swift’s support for Harris was highly publicized, with voter registration sites spiking after she announced her endorsement via Instagram. In turn, Trump brushed off Swift’s political messages, dismissing them without much commentary.
Yet Swift’s political engagement has only grown more resolute with time. Having mostly kept her head down early in her career, the singer has since fessed up to her platform to reach the world for causes she champions. Thus, her backing for Kamala Harris has come when critical electoral events, such as the 2024 election, are underway in the United States.
In an Instagram post, Swift explained why she was for Harris: “I’ve made my choice, and it’s because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” This resonated powerfully with her fanbase, many of whom have similar progressive values. What’s more, while Trump attempted to belittle such influence Swift may have, such claims were debunked by the spike in voter registration and reported boosts to donations for Harris’s campaign.
This isn’t Trump’s first attempt to co-opt Swift’s popularity. In the past, he created AI-generated visual depictions that lied about Swift being a supporter of his campaign. These depictions, among other things, urged Swift to publicly declare her support for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election by describing her as a “steady-handed, gifted leader.”
Swift’s fanbase reacted quickly and incisively. Swifties started to take to social media to express their ire at what many felt was blatant copyright infringement and political opportunism. Many accused the Trump campaign of leveraging Swift’s success to sell merchandise and push a political message.
“This is beyond disrespectful,” one fan tweeted. “Using her brand to promote his campaign? It’s shameless.”
Swifties are famously loyal and activist-minded, and they immediately mobilized online. A movement began to build steam as fans called on one another to boycott any stores selling the Trump knock-off Eras Tour merchandise. The hashtag #BoycottTrumpMerch started to trend alongside the revival of the #GrabYourWallet campaign, calling people to withhold patronizing businesses attached to the Trump name.
Historically, the Grab Your Wallet movement has targeted businesses tied to the Trump family, and now it’s expanding to retailers involved in selling imitation merch. The fans are deadly serious about not exploiting their favorite artist’s brand for political gain.
Not surprisingly, Trump isn’t the only one looking to cash in on Swift’s zeitgeist. The Harris-Walz campaign also released Eras-themed friendship bracelets, but with one very important distinction: Swift has endorsed them. Swift going out of her way to support Harris could be a game-changer for the election, likely inspiring undecided voters and increasing voter registration.
In response to Swift‘s endorsement of Harris, Trump made it clear– he was never a fan of the pop star. He also criticized her for always endorsing Democrats and suggested that she would pay a price for doing so in the marketplace.
By swiping from Swift’s tour merch, the Trump campaign is doubtless trying to appeal to her young and highly engaged fanbase. That tactic appears instead to have blown up in their faces, as many fans look at the attempt as a way to make money from their beloved icon’s image without permission.
It’s as if the Trump campaign wanted to throw gasoline on an already explosive political season with these knock-off tees. But the Swifties are having it. Even if the merchandise sells, one thing is for sure: Taylor Swift’s voice, and that of her fanbase in return, is louder than ever.
