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Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced her plans to run for governor of Tennessee on Wednesday, Aug. 6
Blackburn has previously faced criticism from Tennessee resident Taylor Swift, who broke her silence on politics in 2018 to slam the GOP lawmaker
“She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she’s Trump in a wig,” Swift said of Blackburn in her 2020 documentary, Miss Americana
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn became the latest ally of President Donald Trump to announce her bid for a governorship on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
The two-term senator will face off against Tennessee Rep. John Rose in the Republican primary next year, as both Trump supporters seek to replace the current GOP governor, Bill Lee, who is bound by term limits.
“In his first six months, President Trump has made historic strides in Making America Great Again, but as he sends power back to the states, he’s going to need strong conservative governors who can bring that revolution home,” Blackburn said in a news release. “I’m running to serve as Tennessee’s next governor to ensure Tennessee is America’s conservative leader.”
Blackburn was a Tennessee state senator from 1999 to 2003. She was then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 2003 to 2019. It was Blackburn’s 2018 Senate campaign that put her in the crosshairs of Taylor Swift, when the pop star broke her silence on politics to endorse Blackburn’s Democratic opponent.
In the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Swift offered a behind the scenes look at her decision to wade into politics, saying she regretted not speaking out against Trump during the 2016 presidential election. The film also captured her reaction to Blackburn’s senatorial victory in 2018.
“She gets to be the first female senator in Tennessee, and she’s Trump in a wig,” Swift lamented. “She represents no female interests. She won by being a female applying to the kind of female males want us to be in a horrendous 1950s world.”
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Swift specifically called out Blackburn’s opposition to same-sex marriage and her 2013 vote against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
“It’s really basic human rights, and it’s right and wrong at this point, and I can’t see another commercial and see her disguising these policies behind the words ‘Tennessee Christian values,’ ” she said. “Those aren’t Tennessee Christian values. I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for.”
Swift’s criticism of a Trump ally earned backlash from the president at the time.
“Let’s say that I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now,” Trump said in a clip from ABC News at the time. “Marsha Blackburn is doing a very good job in Tennessee. She’s leading now substantially which she should. She’s a tremendous woman. I’m sure Taylor Swift doesn’t know anything about her.”
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Taylor Swift performs at The Eras Tour in 2023
Miss Americana also featured a scene in which Swift’s father, Scott, voiced his concern about the singer speaking up politically.
“I’m terrified. I’m the guy that went out and bought armored cars,” he said in a clip, sharing his worries about violent retaliation from conservatives.
Swift said she understood, noting, “My dad is terrified of threats against my safety and my life, and he has to see how many stalkers we deal with on a daily basis, and know that this is his kid. It’s where he comes from.”
At the time, however, Blackburn refrained from slamming Swift.
“Taylor is an exceptionally gifted artist and songwriter, and Nashville is fortunate to be the center of her creative universe,” she said in a statement to CNN. “While there are policy issues on which we may always disagree, we do agree on the need to throw the entertainment community’s collective influence behind legislation protecting songwriters, musicians, and artists from censorship, copyright theft, and profiteering.”
Smartly deciding not to invoke the wrath of the singer’s devoted “Swifties,” Blackburn added, “I welcome any further opportunities to work with Tennessee’s and the nation’s creative communities to protect intellectual property and ensure appropriate compensation for their creations. On that note, I wish Taylor the best — she’s earned it.”
Read the original article on People
