Far-right pundit Ben Shapiro was mocked after trying to claim on Fox News that the enthusiasm around Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for the White House is "manufactured" before claiming the same about pop star Taylor Swift.
Shapiro is only the latest prominent conservative to criticize Harris after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed her to be his successor. At 81, Biden faced increasing concerns within his party about his age and capacity to serve another term, along with fears of a potential loss to former President Donald Trump—who is 78—in November.
Meanwhile, Swift is currently in the midst of the European leg of her "Eras" tour, which added $4.3 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023. She has also been promoting her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.
Yet oddly, Shapiro made the following remark attempting to shade Harris with his Swift comparison during an interview with Fox News personality Jesse Watters:
"What exactly do her qualifications look like other than you know, again, the sort of intersectional magic of Kamala Harris and the fact that Democrats have to manufacture enthusiasm for—I've never seen as much manufactured enthusiasm for anyone outside of maybe Taylor Swift's last album. It's amazing."
Watters agreed, adding:
"Me neither, me neither! It's, it's, it's, it's, it's so, it's so obvious. You cringe when you see it."
You can hear what they said in the video below.
His remarks didn't go over well, with many pointing out just how much he pales in comparison to both women.
Later, Shapiro attempted to clarify his remarks, saying he was actually referring to Swift's "last album," though he was quick to add that it still "absolutely sucked."
But that didn't land either.
Harris has already secured the support of a majority of pledged delegates as of Monday night, ensuring she will be the Democratic Party’s nominee. The nomination will be made official when the delegates meet at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19.
She also raised more than $81 million in 24 hours after officially launching her election campaign.
The significant fundraising haul, which includes contributions to the campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and joint fundraising committees, marks the largest 24-hour sum reported by either side in the 2024 campaign. According to Harris' campaign, it is the largest single-day total in U.S. history.
Swift, much to the chagrin of Trump and conservatives, has used her massive profile to encourage young voters to participate in the electoral process, efforts that have been recognized by political scientists as having a significant impact on key races.
Swifties have acknowledged that a Swift endorsement could potentially sway their votes.
