Celebrities have been stepping forward to endorse a presidential candidate, Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris being one example. But not every public figure has been so forthcoming.
The Guardian published an interview with rising pop superstar Chappell Roan on Friday in which she revealed she was not planning to endorse anyone for the upcoming presidential election. Roan stated there are, quote, “problems on both sides.”
The singer’s comment fueled controversy online, where some social media users accused Roan of resorting to false equivalence, among other things. Roan has previously taken a stand against some of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies; she rejected an invitation to perform at the White House, citing issues such as the ongoing conflict in Gaza and transgender rights.
Students on campus Monday expressed a range of feelings about Roan’s statement.
”I feel like maybe you should separate the worlds of like, celebrities and politics. I feel like that’s important” said Malet Massey, a first-year biomedical engineering student.
Politics and celebrities have never mixed well together. Some, like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, have vocally discussed their endorsements for Democratic presidential nominee Harris. According to NPR, Swift’s singular Instagram post (which so far has 11 million likes) drove 35,000 new voters to register from her link alone.
Roan’s reluctance to endorse a candidate surprised some. Keilani Kozen, a sophomore studying computer science and business administration said, “I feel like it makes more sense for someone like Chappell Roan to be more public about it, especially because Taylor Swift has been in the public eye for a really long time, and has had a large presence. But yeah ... I don’t think I saw that one coming either.”
Angie Ho, a first year politics, philosophy and economics major, was similarly surprised given Roan’s general outspokenness.
“Chappell Roan is on the very liberal side of things, so I’m pretty surprised that she didn’t endorse,” Ho said, “but at the same time, I feel like her Chappell Roan thing is like, ‘Oh, I’m different from everyone else,’ so non-endorsement actually does fit with her character.”
To Dima Qaysi, a freshman studying astronomical engineering, Roan not picking a candidate made sense.
“I think it’s a great stance to have, because it shows, like, it’s an informed decision,” she said. “So I think instead of like picking a side...(it’s) knowing that both sides are wrong and they have issues, and sort of like acknowledging those issues.’
There’s just a little over a month until voters case their ballots in the Nov. 5 election.