Following the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Taylor Swift’s fanbase, known as “Swifties,” have reportedly started leaving Elon Musk‘s social media platform X, formerly Twitter for Bluesky.
What Happened: Musk is a prominent supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, donating over $100 million to the Trump-supporting America PAC.
His active promotion of Trump’s messaging on X and his alignment with a predominantly right-wing male audience clashed with the Swifties community, which had established a strong presence on the platform, reported Wired last week.
Within 48 hours of Trump’s victory, Swifties started to leave X, attributing Musk’s support for Trump as a primary reason.
“Elon is of course a big Trump supporter, which doesn’t align with Taylor’s values or the values of Swifties,” a Swiftie named Justin explained.
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Swifties, recognized for their inclusive and positive community, had supported Democratic nominee Kamala Harris following Swift’s endorsement.
However, the post-election environment on X, characterized by a rise in hate speech and disinformation, prompted many Swifties to find a safer environment on Bluesky.
Swifties have noticed a significant difference on Bluesky, feeling more secure and supported by the community.
In the 24 hours leading up to this report, nearly 200 Swift-themed starter packs were created on Bluesky, signaling a significant migration of Swifties from X, the report noted.
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Why It Matters: This migration follows a trend of user exodus from X, particularly in the U.K.
Earlier this year in September, it was reported that active daily users in the U.K. had dropped from eight million to around 5.6 million over the past year.
More than a third of this decline occurred after Musk made controversial posts, such as “civil war is inevitable,” during the summer riots. The U.S. also saw a decrease of roughly 20% in X’s active users during this period.
In August, reports indicated that Musk’s social media activity on X has surged in 2024, with a marked shift toward political topics. Musk’s posting frequency has jumped to 13,000 posts this year, averaging 61 posts per day — up significantly from an average of just nine posts per day in 2019.
The financial implications of this user exodus could also be significant. Fidelity’s valuation of X dropped significantly, reflecting the platform’s declining user base and overall value.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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