Fact check: Did Taylor Swift's Kamala Harris endorsement cause her to lose 100M followers on social media?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rumors have been swirling online that pop superstar Taylor Swift lost over 100 million followers on social media after endorsing Kamala Harris.

The claim originated from a Facebook page called SpaceX Fanclub, which posted a collage featuring Vice President Harris and Swift alongside a bold statement: "Taylor Swift Loses More Than 100 Million Followers on Instagram After Harris Endorsement."

This rumor quickly gained traction, spreading across various platforms. However, the claim is entirely false, as the original post itself was labeled as satire.

Taylor Swift losing followers rumor came from a well-known satirical Facebook page

The post that sparked this controversy came from the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub on September 12.

It showed an image of Swift with Harris, suggesting a massive fallout in Swift's social media due to her endorsement. But the caption accompanying the post was a dead giveaway: "It was Tay Tay's biggest mistake - This is Satire."

This page is known for its satirical content, and a quick glance at its bio confirms this: "We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real." The post was never intended to be taken seriously, but it seems many missed the satire tag.

For context, Swift had indeed made a public endorsement of Harris on September 10, as reported by BBC.

In an Instagram post following the Harris-Trump presidential debate, Swift expressed her support for Harris and her running mate Tim Walz.

"I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift wrote. This endorsement, however, did not result in any significant loss of followers.

Claim about Taylor Swift losing followers was taken at face value by many users

Despite the post's satirical nature, it sparked a wildfire of rumors. The claim was shared across other social media platforms, with many users taking it at face value.

Further fueling the misinformation, the SpaceX Fanclub post included a link to an article on the Esspots website, which carried the title: "Taylor Swift Loses More Than 100 Million Followers on Instagram After Kamala Harris Endorsement."

This Esspots article, dated September 11, 2024, contained dramatic and entirely fabricated claims.

It suggested that Swift's followers deserted her in droves following her political stance, painting a picture of a mass exodus.

"In what might be the most shocking Instagram exodus since the Great Vine Migration of 2017, pop sensation Taylor Swift woke up to find her follower count had dropped by more than 100 million overnight," the article stated.

Website claiming Taylor Swift's followers plummeted creates satirical content

The piece further alleged that Swift was initially unfazed by the backlash but was shocked by the scale of the reaction.

It even claimed that a trending hashtag, #UnfollowSwift, emerged on social media, with fans supposedly expressing disappointment in her political endorsement.

However, none of these claims hold water. The narrative crafted by Esspots was a work of fiction, and the website itself is known for creating satirical content.

Its "About Us" section clearly describes the site as a "one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary," explicitly stating that its content is fake and meant to induce laughter.

Fact-checking the claim reveals that Swift did not experience any significant loss of followers on Instagram or other social media platforms following her endorsement of Harris. Nor did her fanbase express any widespread dismay or start an #UnfollowSwift movement.

Moreover, the supposed quote from Harris in response to the alleged follower loss was also fabricated.

The article claimed Harris tweeted, "Welcome to the club, Taylor. Sometimes telling the truth costs you a few fans," a statement that was never actually made by the vice president.

Similarly, the Esspots article falsely attributed a quote to Swift in her endorsement post, suggesting she wrote, "Kamala Harris is the leader we need. She's my role model and perfect for this country."

However, the actual post by Swift on Instagram included her reasoned support for Harris and did not contain the fabricated quote.

Swift emphasized in her real post that her support was based on her belief that Harris is "a steady-handed, gifted leader" and that the country would benefit from being "led by calm and not chaos."