The upcoming presidential election may be one of the most cut-throat and close elections we have seen in American history. With the running of former President Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Biden and the new presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who took the Democratic nomination after incumbent president Joe Biden dropped out of the election in July, tensions couldn’t be higher. America has never seemed so polarized and both candidates have strong support systems. During the course of the campaign, we have seen the endorsement of presidential candidates through celebrities. But how much sway do these endorsements have on polls?

 To start, let’s take a look at the celebrity endorsements that Harris has received during her run for the presidency. Harris has received endorsements from many household names, including Anne Hathaway, Cher, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Lawrence, to name a few. She also snagged an endorsement from Taylor Swift, which many would say is her most notable celebrity endorsement. Swift publicly endorsed Harris with an Instagram post, signing it a “childless cat lady,” which alluded to a comment that J.D. Vance made about Harris in a 2021 Fox News interview. Another celebrity endorsement she received was from George Clooney who had, prior to his decision to do so, said that incumbent president Joe Biden needed to withdraw from the election. 

Now, let’s move on to celebrities who have endorsed Trump. Tucker Carlson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Sexyy Red and 50 Cent have endorsed Trump’s presidency. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has also endorsed Trump as president publicly since 2016. Another celebrity who has endorsed Trump is Chiefs placekicker Harrison Butker, who has been previously under fire for the comments he made about female graduates at Benedictine College. Butker, who is openly a very religious man, has made comments about how he supports Trump due to his “pro-life” policies. Elon Musk is also an intense Trump endorser. Musk has donated a whopping 75 million dollars to the Trump campaign, supported Trump on his social platform “X” and attended rallies.

So, do these endorsements have an impact? Many political scientists think they do, specifically for the younger generation of voters. Hamline University political science professor David Schultz has reported that Swift’s endorsement post for Harris drove over 400,000 people to vote.gov, which is a website that helps to get people registered to vote. Similarly, Musk’s endorsements have helped the Trump campaign immensely. By running “X”, Musk has been able to put out as much Trump propaganda as he pleases, which gets Trump’s messages across to a broader audience. Since almost everyone uses social media, it is the perfect platform for candidates and endorsers to get messages across. 

Overall, I would say that celebrity endorsements have a sway in elections and voter turnout. If you view someone in high regard, then you will be more inclined to think and act in similar ways that they do. These endorsements have significantly impacted first-time voters and younger voters as a whole. While celebrity endorsements can impact your voting decision, it is essential to do your own research on the candidates and their platforms; don’t vote a certain way because your favorite celebrity is. This election is extremely close, so whether you are voting blue or red, make sure you register and vote! Your voice matters.