A cultural battle at the epicenter of America’s tightest election ever

After all, Swift, who began to succeed in the music world fifteen years ago, is known for her progressive postulates. She has spoken out against police excesses, especially those suffered by the black community, and in favor of preserving and expanding the rights of the LGBT community. Among other causes. “A lady without children and with cats”, is how the artist signed her declaration of intent; a clear allusion to the conservative movement that seeks to caricature the Democratic Party as a formation led by “a handful of women with cats and no children”.

The answer he gave her was not surprising either. Donald TrumpHarris’s rival in that election, five days later on his own social network. “I hate Taylor Swift,” he wrote (in all caps and an exclamation point at the end) on Truth Social.

Which was surprising, to the point of giving rise to several articles in American intelligentsia magazines such as Atlantic either The New Republicwas the reaction of the technology mogul Elon Musk on the social network X, formerly called Twitter, which he owns and where he has 198 million followers. “Okay, Taylor… you win. “I will give you a son and I will protect your cats with my life,” he wrote in a message that received half a million likes, demonstrating, once again, his influence beyond the mere commercial spheres. Demonstrating, in short, that Musk is another of the cultural icons of the moment.

From voting for Hillary to hanging out with Trump

The message from the South African billionaire – who holds an American passport – lent itself to various readings. Some were more frank and others more sexual. Where everyone seemed to agree was on the parameters within which to frame their response: dominance, virility, conservatism. An attempt to assert oneself against a figure perceived as a rival. And not only in the cultural field; also in politics.

Because Musk, who was once considered a technological idealist who had succeeded in many of his companies – such as Tesla or SpaceX – thanks to his will, has been making headlines in recent years because of his ideological thinking. The first big headline came in May 2022, when he said that after voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 already Joe Biden In 2020, he distanced himself from the Democratic Party. He couldn’t continue to vote for the acronyms, he said, because they fueled “division and hatred.”

From there, add and continue. In October 2022, he said that the attack suffered by her husband Nancy Pelosi at home, it may have something to do with his personal life (he later deleted the post); in September 2023, he acknowledged withdrawing technological aid to Ukraine; and in November 2023, he flirted with a conspiracy theory about an alleged pedophile plot by Democratic Party elites and gave birth to another theory that Jews are conspiring with other minorities to turn white people into pariahs (Musk apologized for encouraging the second).

Not to mention what he said when Nicolas Maduro He challenged him to a fight. “I accept,” Musk replied. “If I win, let him resign as dictator of Venezuela, and if I lose, I’ll take him to Mars for free.” A response that garnered tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of enthusiastic comments.

Finally, last July, shortly after a young man in his twenties named Thomas Matthew Crooks Attempted on Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania, Musk said he would vote for the Republican Party nominee in November. He had been impressed, he later commented, by Trump’s attitude after being shot in the face that nearly cost him his life (and that left him with a wound to his ear, filling his face with blood). Unwilling to crawl away from the podium, but walking, and not before addressing the audience with his fist raised, shouting “fight, fight!“.

They are not simple celebrities

If Taylor Swift and Elon Musk were two typical celebrities, this question wouldn’t matter much. There is a long list of actors, actresses, singers and athletes who have said and are saying who they are going to vote for without it affecting the final outcome much, if at all. The actor’s affinity George Clooney or the director Spike Lee with the Democratic Party is well known. The same goes for the sympathy the singer has repeatedly shown towards Trump. Rock Childthe actors James Woods And Jon Voightor by the fighter Hulk Hogan.

If the positioning of each of them, and of so many other famous people, does not prevent political analysts from sleeping at night, it is because these names correspond to simple celebrities and not to cultural icons. In short, they are not the representatives of a certain identity as Swift and Musk seem to be. She is associated with a successful feminist, sensitive, autonomous and independent. To him with a powerful man, fearless despite the scars left by life, favorable to the family – or at least to the generation of many descendants – and ready to conquer everything that comes his way.

So both have hundreds of thousands of followers who define themselves – more hers than his – with a term derived from their name: fast In the case of the singer and musketeers –a nod to the three musketeers invented by the French novelist Alexandre Dumas– in the case of the tech mogul.

Can they move a significant number of votes?

The question, just weeks before the election, is to what extent this influence can move votes.

Given the political divide that has grown between American men and women in their 30s, a divide documented by The Wall Street Journal Through several surveys, and taking into account the interest that the two personalities arouse among independent voters, the answer seems affirmative. Yes: Swift and Musk’s positions could push thousands of undecided young people in one direction or another.

For example, what happened four years ago, when Swift encouraged her supporters to register to vote after declaring that she would do so in favor of Biden. In the hours following the announcement, 65,000 new voter registrations were registered. It is worth remembering, in this regard, that in the 2020 elections, the Democratic Party won Arizona by less than 11,000 votes and Georgia by less than 12,000 votes. Two states considered essential to victory this fall.

Further evidence that Swift’s influence extends beyond inertia can be found in a collective called Swifties For Kamala; created last July, it already has more than 80,000 followers on the social network. The Hillhas successfully raised over $130,000 in donations. Swifties For Kamala is defined as “a coalition of Taylor Swift fans committed to protecting democracy in the United States of America.”

Musk, for his part, demonstrated his influence in a much more direct way: by receiving a job offer from Trump himself. This happened in early September, even before the debate. Musk proposed to the former president that he create a commission to examine the efficiency of the American public sector. To lose weight, go for it. Trump responded that if he manages to win the election and be re-elected president, he will entrust this reform – which he called “drastic” – to the tycoon. “It’s a bigger size mower”he said in a complimentary tone.

After hearing the news, Musk posted the following message on X: “I look forward to serving the United States if given the opportunity. “I don’t need a salary, a title, or even recognition.” It seemed like 400,000 people, judging by their asa great idea.