'Swifties for Kamala' raise over $100k - even without Taylor there

Taylor Swift has yet to endorse a candidate this election season, but her fans, better known as Swifties, are already fundraising for the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Swifties for Kamala Coalition officially launched on Tuesday, with a lucrative debut of $142,000, during a star-studded two-hour virtual rally featuring singer Carole King and U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.

Many of the donations ranged from $13 to $19.89, a nod to the singer’s favorite number and the title of her fifth studio album.

The call began with remarks from Warren, who was greeted by a sea of heart emojis and cheers from the livestream chat.

“You are resilient, and you know how to take on bullies, and you know how to be your most authentic, most joyful selves,” Warren told the group. “And that is what the Kamala Harris campaign is all about. It’s about standing up for what is right in the face of bullies, like Donald Trump.”

Later in the call, King – who described Swift as her “musical and songwriting granddaughter” – sang her favorite song, “Shake It Off.” King also discussed her political activism: “I’ve been a volunteer, I’ve been doorknocker, even as a famous person."

The call’s feel-good vibe almost made it seem like an impromptu meeting among Swifties, but the group has been hard at work since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

Emerald Medrano, 22, founded the group in June and now boasts a quarter million followers across its social media channels.

In an interview with The Cut, Medrano likened Harris to Swift, saying, “Harris is a very intelligent and powerful woman; she’s a trailblazer. The way she has opened doors and also takes care of the people who come after her through that door reminds me in a lot of ways of Taylor and the way she cares about people in the music industry.”

Medrano said that connection and the feeling that Harris truly cares about his rights and identity made him want to vote for the vice president.

Swift is not currently affiliated with the group, but those on the call, including Warren, hope she publicly supports Harris. The singer famously endorsed Biden for president less than a month before the 2020 election, a move from a superstar some had criticized as too apolitical.

Just last week, Trump posted a fake social media image of the pop superstar asking people to vote for him in the November election. The picture showed the winner of 14 Grammys dressed in red, white, and blue, with a caption that said, “Taylor Swift Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump.”

“I accept!” Trump wrote.

A spokesperson for Swift did not respond to a request for comment, according to Reuters.

Melissa Cruz is an election reporting fellow focusing on voter access issues for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach her at mcruz@gannett.com or X, formerly Twitter, at @MelissaWrites22.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Swifties for Kamala' score celebrities and campaign cash for Democrat