News

It’s been a hell of a summer for Taylor Swift. The pop star’s Eras tour has broken several records—including the most-attended gig by a female performer ever in the U.S.

So many fans rushed to buy tickets that Ticketmaster’s website crashed, while pre-sale tickets for her Eras tour movie have overtaken Spider-Man: No Way Home, making it the film with the most advance sales in the ticket distribution company’s history.

However, the Democrat-supporting singer has also been using her star power to encourage followers to register to vote, seemingly angering conservatives. The attention on the 33-year-old music icon has sparked a bizarre feud between Swifties and Kid Rock fans on X—the social network formerly known as Twitter—with comments the Republican musician made about Swift in 2019 re-emerging.

Taylor Swift in September 2023 (left) and Kid Rock in 2016 (right). Kid Rock’s past comments about Taylor Swift have resurfaced on social media. GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/WIREIMAGE/JASON KEMPIN/DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS
“Taylor Swift wants to be a democrat because she wants to be in movies….period,” the 52-year-old posted to social media four years ago.

“And it looks like she will suck the door knob off Hollyweird to get there. Oldest move in the book. Good luck girl.”

Alongside the presale success of her concert film  Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour—releasing on October 13—Swift has directed several of her own music  videos and is currently working on her feature directorial debut with Searchlight Pictures.

The remarks were reposted by X user @LivepPDDave1, along with the caption: “Kid Rock was right about Taylor Swift.”

Fans of the rapper-turned-country-music-singer chimed in on the resurfaced tweet, with user Nick Adams claiming: “The vast majority of Americans prefer Kid Rock.”

“Kid Rock is talented and patriotic,” he wrote. “Taylor Swift is overrated and socialist.”

“She sold herself to that brainwashed cesspool of liberal leftists who regurgitate MSNBC propaganda,” said @TiffMoodNukes.

Many others voiced support for the pop star, with Victoria Brownworth describing Kid Rock supporters as incels “having a fit over Taylor Swift registering tens of thousands of Gen Z Democrats to vote.” On September 21, Swift posted to Instagram urging followers to sign up, directing them to non-partisan site Vote.org, leading to 35,000 new registrations.

“Hard to choose what’s more tragic,” Brownworth said. “That these sad little men think Swift is untalented or that they can’t find anyone but Kid Rock to elevate as their symbol of talent.’”

JBug agreed, writing: “Powerful women scare weak men. Poor baby.”

“Swift has sold 114 million albums to kid rocks 35 million and he’s been around a whole heck of a lot longer,” said Bill G.

Taylor Swift performs on stage during The Eras Tour at Levi’s Stadium on July 28, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. Swift’s Instagram post urging people to sign up to vote saw an uptick in voter…  GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT/JEFF KRAVITZ/TAS23
“She’s currently the biggest selling musical artist on earth. I imagine she needs to very little to get herself into hollywood, but keep telling yourself that!” commented Censored By Rudy, while Zora told Swift to: “Keep slaying.”

Early in her music career, Swift chose to stay quiet on the topic of politics. However, in recent years, her stance has changed, with the award winner backing Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen during his senate run in her home state of Tennessee. In an interview with The Guardian in 2019, Swift referred to Donald Trump’s presidency as an “autocracy” and has publicly supported LGBTQ rights.

In recent years, Kid Rock—whose real name is Robert James Ritchie—has become as well-known for his political views as his music. In 2011, the Michigan native defended his use of the Confederate flag on stage, saying it was an homage to the band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Kid Rock looks on during the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Kid Rock has become as well-known for his political views…

In 2016, he criticized footballer Colin Kaepernick for kneeling during the national anthem during NFL games—a protest against police brutality towards African Americans—and added merchandise supporting then-president Trump to his line.

Kid Rock released a track bashing President Joe Biden and then-chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci in 2022, with the song rallying against COVID-19 vaccines and mask mandates. In April, he posted a  video of himself shooting a crate of Bud Light with a machine gun online after the brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, joining other conservative musicians in boycotting the beverage.

Newsweek has reached out to Taylor Swift and Kid Rock for comment via email.