'I hate Taylor Swift': Donald Trump tweets after singer endorses Kamala Harris

The tweet came as a surprise, even from the provocative Donald Trump: "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" the former president said Sunday.

Though the all-caps post came without accompanying commentary or explanation, the context was clear.

On Tuesday, just minutes after a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris that Republican Trump was widely seen as losing, the superstar singer/songwriter posted a message on Instagram saying she would be voting for his Democratic rival, calling Harris a "steady-handed, gifted leader."

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Celebrity endorsements rarely carry enormous weight, but the hugely popular Swift is seen as being in a class of her own, with more than 100 million followers on social-media -- 10 million of whom "liked" her Instagram post.

"Going after Taylor Swift is a genuinely bad campaign strategy," said one poster on social media platform X. "Taylor doesn't get mad, she gets even."

It was not clear what Trump hoped to gain by attacking Swift, though he may calculate that any publicity is better than none.

He has been criticised, even by fellow Republicans, for his recent association with conspiracy-minded right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has at times joined him on his campaign plane.