Nicola Lasak, News Reporter
After years of keeping her political opinions away from the public, Taylor Swift has voiced her standings in regards to the upcoming midterm elections.
On Sunday, October 7th, Swift took to Instagram to proclaim her support for Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. They are the Democratic nominees for Senate and House of Representatives from Tennessee, respectively.
In the post, Swift commented on controversial issues such as LGBTQ rights and racism. Additionally, the pop star advised others to register to vote in the elections.
According to Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for Vote.org, 65,000 individuals registered to vote in the 24 hours after Swift made the statement.
Public opinion on whether celebrities should get involved in politics is divided.
Matthew Batista, a junior at World Journalism Preparatory School, states, “Hollywood and politics are two separate things. In my opinion, celebrities do not have the education and knowledge of running in a governmental role, or by in any means be involved in politics. It’s understandable they have an opinion, but they should rather focus on entertainment.”
Francise Au, a junior at Manhattan Village Academy, believes otherwise. “I think celebrities should get involved in politics because of their wide fan base. They’re able to give a public opinion and let their voices be heard. They’re able to use their platform and speak out.”