Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential election has left many Republicans grappling with how to combat one of the most popular people on the planet taking a public stand against Donald Trump.
That includes Michele Tafoya, who apparently decided that the best course of action would be to spoof one of the pop superstar’s music videos.
In a video posted to X, the former NBC and ESPN sideline reporter can be seen holding up a series of white posters with writing on them, just as Swift famously did during the music video for her 2009 hit song “You Belong to Me.” Only the writing on Tafoya’s posters questioned Swfit’s decision to endorse Harris, which she did at the conclusion of this past Tuesday’s presidential debate.
“Dear Taylor: Did you research this?” the first two cards read before continuing, “Child poverty at a 5-year high. Jobless claims up.”
From there, Tafoya listed the names of several people who have allegedly been killed by immigrants over the course of the Democratic nominee’s time as vice president. Among the names listed was 11-year-old Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio, whose father recently spoke out against Republicans — including Trump — using his son’s name for political gain.
Apparently Tafoya was either unaware of the message from Clark’s father or she opted to ignore it.
Dear @taylorswift13 … pic.twitter.com/MUinr17BFZ
— Michele Tafoya (@Michele_Tafoya) September 13, 2024
Other slides in Tafoya’s message read popular right wing talking points including “Title IX” and “Inflation” before she signed off by taking a dig at Swift referring to herself as a “childless cat lady,” which was an obvious reference to previous comments made by Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance.
“Love, (actually) married mom of two and a dog,” the last two cards combine to read.
Tafoya’s video response comes less than two years after she left her previous job as NBC’s NFL sideline reporter to join the Minnesota gubernatorial campaign of a candidate who eventually drooped out in a race that was later won by Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz. In the time since, Tafoya has established herself as a right-wing pundit and recently made headlines for criticizing ESPN’s Mina Kimes for being complimentary of Walz.
While many on the right are understandably wary of criticizing Swift considering her popularity and influence, that clearly isn’t the approach Tafoya is taking. If nothing else, perhaps this will help bolster the numbers on her YouTube page heading into the homestretch of the 2024 election cycle.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.