Trump lashes out at Taylor Swift, says he likes her music '25% less' after she backs Democratic candidates
President Donald Trump on Monday said he likes pop star Taylor Swift's music "about 25% less" now that she has endorsed a Demoratic party candidate for the upcoming midterm elections. The statement from the president came a day after the singer, who is a longtime Nashville resident, endorsed Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen, a former governor, over Republican candidate Rep. Marshaw Blackburn in Tennessee's Senate race.
When reporters at the White House asked Trump what he had to say about Swift's comments on Tennessee politics, the president walked towards the reporters and asked them: "What'd she say?" After he was informed the pop star had announced her opposition to Blackburn and had endorsed Bredesen, the Republican said Blackburn is "doing a very good job in Tennessee" and added, "I'm sure Taylor Swift has nothing -- or doesn't know anything about her (Blackburn)."
He also added another statement with a laugh and said: "Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25% less now, OK?" The president, in the past, has claimed to be a big fan of Swift's music.
Swift, in a break from her reluctance to weigh in on politics, endorsed Bredesen and Rep. Jim Cooper in an Instagram post on Sunday. Cooper is a Democrat who is running for re-election to the House, according to CNN. "In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," Swift said in her post.
The pop star's post appeared to particularly focus on slamming Blackburn for her policies and said the Republican's voting record "appalls and terrifies me." Swift pointed out to multiple issues that Blackburn backs and the music star opposes.
"She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives," Swift wrote in her post.