WASHINGTON — On September 15, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump launched a verbal attack against Taylor Swift, expressing his "hate" for the pop star shortly after she endorsed his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

In an all-caps message on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!"

Following the recent Trump-Harris debate, Swift announced to her 284 million Instagram followers that she intended to support Harris, the current Vice-President, stating that Harris "fights for the rights and causes that need a strong advocate."

Swift praised Harris as a "steady-handed, gifted leader."

Celebrity endorsements often have limited impact, but Swift, with her massive influence and over 400 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms, is seen as an exception. Her endorsement post garnered 10 million likes on Instagram alone.

Critics of Trump’s move quickly emerged, with one user on social media platform X commenting, "Attacking Taylor Swift is a poor campaign strategy. She doesn’t get mad, she gets even."

Initially, Trump, who has 7.71 million followers on Truth Social, dismissed Swift's endorsement by stating he was "not a Taylor fan." However, as public opinion polls started showing Harris gaining ground on Trump in the lead-up to the close presidential election on November 5, Trump intensified his criticism of the globally recognized recording artist.

In response to Trump's post, Harris' vice-presidential running mate, Tim Walz, tweeted on X: "Swifties: With your help, we will defeat the smallest man who ever lived." This message referenced Swift's song titled "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived."

Trump's comments sparked an outpouring of support for Swift on X, with many declaring, "I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT." Meanwhile, others defended Trump by attacking President Joe Biden's administration.

Ironically, on August 18, Trump had shared manipulated images on Truth Social implying Swift and her fans, known as Swifties, supported his campaign. The post featured a picture of Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit, urging fans to vote for Trump, accompanied by an "I accept!" comment from Trump. The post also included images of women wearing "Swifties for Trump" shirts, which experts noted appeared to be AI-generated.

Trump and Swift have had a long history of public disagreements. In response to Swift supporting Democratic candidates in the 2018 election, Trump told reporters, "Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25 percent less now."

It remains unclear what Trump aims to achieve by targeting Swift, though he might believe that any publicity is beneficial.

He has faced criticism, even from within his party, for his recent association with conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has accompanied him on his campaign plane. The 31-year-old Loomer has promoted several baseless theories, including the claim that Swift's relationship with football star Travis Kelce is "arranged" to sway the 2024 election. However, there is no evidence to support these claims.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters file, Instagram/Taylor Swift