Celebrity endorsements typically don’t sway voters. So why do they make people so mad?

Brett Favre is a fan of Patrick Mahomes — and not just because of his play on the field.
Favre appreciates how the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback is approaching the 2024 presidential election.
More specifically, he likes that Mahomes won’t be endorsing former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Good take by Mahomes — I see a lot of celebs trying to influence their audience instead of letting the people think for themselves. If the best choice for them ain’t clear and they’re easily swayed by their fav pop artist, it’s not going to be a good thing,” Favre posted on X on Sept. 16.
Favre is one of many people inside and outside the football world to applaud Mahomes’ comments on the 2024 election.
During a press conference last week, the Chiefs quarterback said his goal this fall — and in the run-up to any election — is to help people learn how to vote, not to tell them who to vote for, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“I think I’ve always said I don’t want my place and my platform to be used to endorse a candidate or do whatever either way. I think my place is to inform people to get registered to vote, it’s to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for them and their family,” Mahomes said on Sept. 11.
Mahomes was asked about his voting plans because of his friendship with Taylor Swift, who recently endorsed Harris in an Instagram post.
Swift’s announcement sparked a wave of additional celebrity endorsements for Harris, as well as a backlash to the pop singer and other celebrities who have made endorsements.
Favre’s post praising Mahomes doubled as a critique of celebrity endorsements, since he derided those who are “easily swayed by their fav pop artist.”
Hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams was even harsher in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I get annoyed sometimes when I see celebrities trying to tell you (who to vote for). There are celebrities that I respect that have an opinion, but not all of them. I’m one of them people (who says), “What the heck? Shut up. Nobody asked you,” he said.
Celebrity endorsements are clearly a hot-button topic. What’s less clear is if celebrity endorsements actually make a difference in the election.
Swift’s Instagram post led more than 300,000 people to visit Vote.gov to learn about registering to vote, as the Deseret News previously reported. But that figure doesn’t tell you how many Swift fans will actually vote on Election Day — or who they’ll vote for.
A survey from earlier this year, which was conducted before President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, showed that fewer than 10% of voters said an endorsement from Swift would have “a lot” or “a little” influence on their vote, per USA Today.
Endorsements from several of the celebrities mentioned in the survey, including Beyoncé, Caitlin Clark and Kim Kardashian, would sway fewer than 5% of voters, the article said.
The most influential endorsements come from the political realm, the survey showed.
Around 20% of voters said their vote would be influenced “a little” or “a lot” by endorsements from former President George W. Bush or former President Bill Clinton. Around 30% would be influenced by former President Barack Obama or by his wife, Michelle Obama.