Howard Stern commends Taylor Swift for taking a political stance: 'That's standing up for your country'
While Taylor Swift caught some flak after endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden, Howard Stern is all about her relatively new political activism.
“Celebrities who won’t say who they’re voting for because they don’t want to piss off their public — f*** you too!” Stern said Monday on his SiriusXM show. “Like Taylor Swift, good for her. She has like 83 million followers and she came out and said who she’s voting for and I’m like good, that’s standing up for your country.”
As of Monday afternoon, Swift actually has 87.4 million followers on Twitter, making hers one of the most popular accounts on the social media platform. The “Exile” singer, who had consciously stayed silent on politics until October 2018, has advocated for Biden this election cycle.
“I’m sure her handlers were telling her ‘Don’t say anything, you’ll make people angry. You don’t want to be like the Dixie Chicks and be political," said Stern, who also supports President Donald Trump’s opponent. “F*** that! Be like the Dixie Chicks.”
The newly renamed the Chicks, of course, were ostracized from country music, the genre in which Swift began her career, after their lead singer, Natalie Maines, spoke out against President George W. Bush in 2003. Swift has specifically cited seeing that band’s experience as a reason she stayed away from politics. She eventually changed her mind, she said, because her moral compass was telling her to do so. And she hasn’t looked back, when it comes to issues, such as LGBTQ rights or her preferred candidates.
https://t.co/BrTBvXb08b pic.twitter.com/nXKdykG7eG
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 2, 2020
Swift officially endorsed Biden on Oct. 7. On Monday, she reminded followers to vote and included artwork of Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris in the short video message.
Stern also praised singer Marc Anthony for urging Puerto Ricans in the mainland United States to join him in backing Biden.
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