Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and pop star Taylor Swift have a history of feuding publicly starting, with the 2018 midterm elections when Swift endorsed Blackburn’s opponent, former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. The singer claimed then that the Republican candidate would not “be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender or who they love.”
It was the first time Swift had waded into politics, saying, “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me … These are not MY Tennessee values. I will be voting for Phil Bredesen for Senate.”
Swift’s criticism ultimately had little impact on Blackburn’s campaign, however, as she won the election handily.
The pop singer complained about Blackburn again in the 2020 Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” that tracked Swift’s shift to a part-time political operative, saying, “She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she’s Trump in a wig. She represents no female interests. She won by being a female applying to the kind of female males want us to be in a horrendous 1950s world.”
At the time, Blackburn responded graciously to Swift’s insults, putting out this statement:
“Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe. While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community’s collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering. The Music Modernization Act was a huge win for creators, and the BOTS Act for fans. Growing support behind the AM-FM Act will close loopholes blocking compensation for radio play. I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee’s and the nation’s creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she’s earned it.”
This week, though, in an interview with Breitbart, Blackburn explained what it would mean to the genre in which Swift first found success if political views like hers were to prevail.
“When you talk about country music, and I know the left is all out now and trying to change country music and make it woke. When I’m talking to my friends who are musicians and entertainers, I say, ‘If—if—we have a socialistic government, if we have Marxism, you are going to be the first ones who will be cut off because the state would have to approve your music,'” she said. “And, you know, Taylor Swift came after me in my 2018 campaign. But Taylor Swift would be the first victim of that, because when you look at Marxist socialist societies, they do not allow women to dress or sing or be on stage or to entertain or the type music that she would have. They don’t allow protection of private intellectual property rights.”
Swift has not yet addressed Blackburn’s response.