Former President Bill Clinton revealed his newfound admiration for Taylor Swift after attending one of her "Eras Tour" concerts in Toronto, Canada, last weekend. Clinton shared his experience during Monday's "Live with Kelly and Mark" episode, where Kelly Ripa eagerly asked, "Confirm or deny — did you see Taylor Swift over the weekend?"
"I did, I did!" the 78-year-old responded enthusiastically. Viewers were then treated to a clip of Clinton dancing in a VIP suite at Rogers Centre as Swift belted out her iconic hit, "You Belong with Me." Clinton explained that it was his first time seeing the 34-year-old pop phenomenon perform live — and he left the concert fully understanding the buzz surrounding her. "I get it now," he said. "I understand why she has such an impact on people and why a lot of these young girls are so captivated."
© Kevin MazurThe former president didn't hold back his praise, marveling at Swift's stamina and dedication to her fans. "She's not like a lot of people who do concerts," he said. "She did three hours-plus straight. I mean, straight through! She just kept on singing the songs and kept on doing it, which I think is a very respectful thing to do for the audience."
Clinton attended the concert with his wife, Hillary Clinton, their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, Chelsea's daughter, Charlotte, and a group of friends. Watching the multigenerational crowd singing along to every lyric left a lasting impression on him. "I was fascinated watching our crowd of kids, especially my granddaughter, standing there with the wife of one of Chelsea's friends from 20-plus years ago and her daughters," Clinton shared. "All of them up there singing, and they all knew the words to all the songs."
When Ripa joked about whether the younger fans in his group tried to persuade him to pull strings for a backstage meeting with the Grammy winner, Clinton chuckled and said, "Actually, they didn't, and I probably couldn't have. And we didn't, but you know, the venues are so big, you got to walk across a football field to get to backstage."
Swift's "Eras Tour," which kicked off in March 2023, has been an unparalleled success, drawing fans from around the world to witness her career-spanning performances. Clinton caught one of her final shows before the tour concludes in Vancouver next month.
© Pedro Gomes/TAS24Over the weekend, Taylor Swift appeared emotional on stage as the realization of her tour's nearing end seemed to hit her, proving that even the global superstar feels the weight of this monumental chapter in her career. With a stamp of approval from one of America's most well-known political figures, Taylor Swift's influence seems to know no boundaries.
