Alert – Ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon issues urgent demand from Taylor Swift before election

Ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon is urging pop superstar Taylor Swift to come forward and endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Lemon, 58, made his plea to DailyMail.com as he walked the streets of Greenwich Village in New York City on Friday. He was predicting her endorsement would encourage younger voters to cast their ballot for Harris come November

Swift, who has almost 500 million followers between her social media accounts has more recently steered clear of politics preferring instead not to intervene so as not to alienate her fan base, known as ‘Swifties’, although she did speak out in 2020.

But as far as Lemon is concerned, time is of the essence and believes Swift should make her political allegiances clear once again.

‘Taylor Swift needs to step forward. She’s very influential. She can move an election,’ Lemon said.

Ousted CNN anchor Don Lemon is urging pop superstar Taylor Swift to come forward and endorse Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in a bid to encourage younger people to vote for her come November.

Swift has previously criticized Trump but has so far remained silent during the 2024 cycle

‘If she believes in women’s reproductive rights and a women’s right to choose – and in democracy, I would say that Taylor Swift needs to come through. It would be a wasted opportunity if she does not use her platform for good,’ Lemon said.

Swift has previously criticized the GOP nominee and vowed to ‘vote [him] out’ ahead of the 2020 election after being left ‘completely blindsided’ by his 2016 victory.

Ahead of Trump’s defeat of Hillary Clinton, Swift kept quiet on her political leanings leading some to suspect she was actually a secret Republican.

But during the 2018 midterms, she voiced strong support for Tennessee Democrats including Senate candidate Phil Bredesen and House candidate Jim Cooper.

She explained in an Instagram post: ‘In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now.

‘I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country.’

Lemon spoke to our reporter on the streets on New York City on Friday and urged Swift to speak out

Swift endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential race

She previously criticized Trump and vowed to ‘vote [him] out’ ahead of the 2020 election after being left ‘completely blindsided’ by his 2016 victory but has been silent thus far in 2024

In 2020, the Blank Space singer came out in full support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

‘I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election,’ she said. ‘Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs,’ she said in an interview with V Magazine ahead of the election.’

She also tagged Trump in an X post blasting him: ‘After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November.’

In her documentary, Miss Americana, which came out in 2020, Swift addressed her decision to speak publicly about politics further saying: ‘I need to be on the right side of history.’

Swift has been a close ally of the LGBTQ community. She also slammed the United States Supreme Court after it overturned Roe v Wade ending the constitutional right to an abortion in 2022.

Last month, Trump, 78, shared AI-generated posts on his Truth Social platform suggesting he had gained the support of Swift, 34, and her fans, known as ‘Swifties’ 

The Swifties have mobilized to throw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris with the ‘@Swifties4Kamala’ X account already attracting 76,000 followers.

During last month’s Democratic National Committee convention in Chicago, the event even paid homage to Swift with stations where DNC attendees could make friendship bracelets – which are traded by Swifties at concerts and fan meet-ups.

The New York Times reported earlier this year that Joe Biden’s campaign had been actively seeking Swift’s endorsement.

Trump has previously questioned whether Swift is ‘legitimately liberal’ or if it’s all an act.

The former president discussed the megastar in an interview with Variety co-Editor-in-Chief Ramin Setoodeh for his book Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass which was released in June.

‘She is liberal, or is that just an act?’ Trump asked. ‘She’s legitimately liberal? It’s not an act?’

He added: ‘It surprises me that a country star can be successful being liberal.’

Lemon was ousted from CNN in April 2023 following 17 years with the company, after he sparked backlash with several controversial remarks, including branding Nikki Haley ‘past her prime.’

Lemon was fired from CNN in April 2023 following a short and disastrous run as a morning show host.

His sudden downfall came months after he had said then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her prime. 

CNN chairman and CEO at the time Chris Licht announced that they had ‘parted ways.’ Lemon characterized it as a firing and said it was surprise to him.

‘After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly,’ Lemon said. 

CNN offered no public explanation for Lemon’s dismissal. 

During the discussion which ultimately led to his departure alongside co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins about the ages of politicians, he said that Haley was not ‘in her prime.’ 

A woman, he said, was considered in her prime ‘in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.’ 

Harlow challenged Lemon, trying to clarify what he was referencing: ‘I think we need to qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?’ 

‘Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,’ Lemon responded.