Taylor Swift Slams Trump Over “Racist” Tweet, Ignites Firestorm on Twitter

Pop superstar Taylor Swift sparked a political firestorm on May 29, 2020, after directly condemning then-President Donald Trump for a tweet that appeared to threaten violence against protesters in Minneapolis. Swift, known for largely staying silent on politics in the past, took a bold stance—one that instantly resonated across social media.

“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” she tweeted, tagging Trump directly. “We will vote you out in November.”

The post—referencing Trump’s controversial “When the looting starts, the shooting starts” tweet—quickly went viral, garnering over 1 million likes in just a few hours. It remains one of Swift’s most-liked tweets of all time.

A President’s Tweet, a Nation’s Outrage

Trump’s original tweet, posted during the third night of protests following the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, drew immediate backlash for what many saw as inciting violence. Twitter placed a warning label on the post for “glorifying violence”—a rare move against a sitting president at the time. The label didn’t remove the tweet but required users to click through to view it.

The timing of the tweet was especially controversial, coming just hours after Trump signed an executive order attempting to limit the legal protections of social media platforms.

A New Political Era for Taylor Swift

For most of her career, Taylor Swift avoided wading into political waters. But that changed in recent years. In her 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift opened up about her regrets over not publicly endorsing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and her desire to speak out more forcefully going forward.

This public rebuke of Trump marked one of her most direct political statements. It also drew a reaction from the President himself, who later quipped, “I like her music about 25% less now.”

GOP Pushback — and Swifties Clap Back

Swift’s post didn’t just rattle Trump. Former Arkansas Governor and conservative pundit Mike Huckabee also dismissed her political impact, claiming it was irrelevant because, “13-year-old girls can’t vote.” The internet quickly hit back, noting that most Swift fans have been following her for over a decade—many of whom are now well into their 20s and 30s.

Swifties flooded social media with facts and fury, defending Swift’s right to speak out and underscoring the power of celebrity voices in American politics.