--- title: Taylor Swift Accused of Silencing Free Speech By ACLU description: Taylor Swift was criticized by the ACLU after her lawyers demanded the removal of a blog post that linked her to the alt-right movement canonical: https://time.com/5013047/taylor-swift-popfront-aclu/ author: Billy Perrigo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-07T16:34:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T18:08:27.469Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Taylor Swift Is Getting Called Out by the ACLU. Here’s Why og:description: Taylor Swift and the ACLU have some bad blood right now og:url: https://time.com/5013047/taylor-swift-popfront-aclu/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2f0daf9e3dfe2cf/6988e4dfcf40a856edc4a1d8/gettyimages-634188466.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Taylor Swift ACLU og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Taylor Swift Is Getting Called Out by the ACLU. Here’s Why twitter:description: Taylor Swift and the ACLU have some bad blood right now twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf2f0daf9e3dfe2cf/6988e4dfcf40a856edc4a1d8/gettyimages-634188466.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Taylor Swift Is Getting Called Out by the ACLU. Here’s Why > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with Ally. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account.  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Nov 7, 2017 4:34 PM UTC  HOUSTON, TX - FEB. 04: Musician Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2017 DIRECTV NOW Super Saturday Night Concert HOUSTON, TX - FEB. 04: Musician Taylor Swift performs onstage during the 2017 DIRECTV NOW Super Saturday Night ConcertKevin Mazur—Getty Images for DIRECTV  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Nov 7, 2017 4:34 PM UTC The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [sent a letter rebuking Taylor Swift](https://www.aclunc.org/news/taylor-swift-attempts-silence-critic-aclu-fires-back) after the pop star’s lawyers threatened to sue a California blogger. The blogger had written a post suggesting there is a link between Swift’s persona and the alt-right movement. The [blog post](http://popfront.us/2017/09/swiftly-to-the-alt-right-taylor-subtly-get-the-lower-case-kkk-in-formation/#more-657), published on the website Popfront, was written by Meghan Herning, the site’s executive editor. In the post, Herning claims that Swift has used the language and symbolism of the alt-right movement in her music, and says that her public persona, including feuds with high-profile celebrities, is based on a narrative of “white victimhood.” Herning also criticized Swift for not endorsing a candidate in the 2016 election. Popfront describes itself as an “online magazine about politics, culture and activism, proudly centered in the Left Coast.” After Popfront published the post earlier this fall, [Herning said Swift’s lawyers sent her a cease and desist letter](https://www.aclunc.org/docs/REDACTED%5Fv1%5FTaylor%5FSwift%5FPopFront%5Fletter.pdf), asking Popfront to remove the post. In the letter, which was published by the ACLU this week, Swift’s lawyer William J. Briggs wrotes that Swift unequivocally denounces “white supremacy and the alt-right.” Briggs also defended Swift’s right to keep her political views private. “Ms. Swift has no obligation to campaign for any particular political candidate or broadcast her political views, and the fact that her political views are not public enough for your taste does not give you the authority to presume what her political opinions may be or that her political views correlate to the support of white supremacy,” Briggs wrote in the letter to Herning. Swift’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TIME. Swift’s lawyers had asked that the letter remain confidential. But on Monday, the ACLU — which is representing Herning — published the letter online in full and called it a “completely unsupported attempt to suppress constitutionally protected speech.” “The blog post is a mix of core political speech and critical commentary; it discusses current politics in this country, the recent rise of white supremacy, and the fact that some white supremacists have apparently embraced Ms. Swift, along with a critical interpretation of some of Ms. Swift’s music, lyrics, and videos,” the ACLU wrote in a letter sent to Swift and published online. 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