• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
PoliticsElections

Ray Dalio says Taylor Swift is better at bringing Americans together than Trump or Biden

Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 8, 2024, 1:47 PM ET
a photo of Ray Dalio talking.
Ray Dalio posted a selfie from a Taylor Swift concert in Singapore when he excitably endorsed her for president.Hollie Adams—Bloomberg/Getty Images

A day after claiming that Taylor Swift should be president, billionaire investor Ray Dalio walked back his comments while insisting that neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden is ideal for the job.

The founder of the massive hedge fund Bridgewater Associates posted a selfie at a Taylor Swift concert in Singapore on Thursday and wrote that he was inspired by her ability to bring people together.

“@taylorswift13 for President! I just saw her at her concert in Singapore and realized that she can bring together Americans and people in most countries much better than either of the candidates…” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

It was clear he had a great time: “Watching this concert with people from all over the world made me and them feel good and connected and reminded me how powerful that universal culture is,” he wrote, before posing a question about politics: “Wouldn’t it be great if we had two candidates who could lead that culture and make smart leadership decisions too?”

A day later, Dalio offered up a clarification and no, he added, he wasn’t drunk when he said Swift should be the leader of the free world. “Though obviously,” he added, “I need to work on my selfies.”

He called his endorsement of Swift both a “joke” and a “half-truth,” clarifying that he thinks “she can bring people together a lot better than either of the presidential candidates and bringing people together is one of the most important things a president should do.” 

He added that her superstardom is a great illustration of America’s cultural power worldwide and that politicians should take her as an example.

“After all, geopolitical power is largely a battle for the hearts and minds of others,” he wrote.

His ideal presidential candidate, he added, could bring people together the way Swift does, and would also be “smart enough to make the right decisions and strong enough to lead most people to do the right things for most people. Unfortunately, I don’t actually see such a candidate [in this election].”

Re: my Taylor Swift for president! comments, no I wasn't drunk (though obviously I need to work on my selfies) and yes it was a joke, which is a half-truth. The half that’s true is that I think she can bring people together a lot better than either of the presidential candidates… https://t.co/nqvfEWEUZx

— Ray Dalio (@RayDalio) March 8, 2024

Dalio’s clarification comes a day after President Biden made his State of the Union Address in which he attacked Republicans on tax break policies and proposed increasing taxes on billionaires and corporations.

Biden’s address showed that politicians continue to be at ends and in a constant state of gridlock as November’s presidential election approaches. The partisanship is so bad that the 118th Congress, whose session ends in 2025, is on track to be one of the least productive in history, passing only 34 bills in the first year of its two year session. For comparison, the 117th Congress, which met during Biden’s first two years as President, passed more than 300 laws.

Dalio previously sounded the alarm about political polarization at Fortune’s Global Forum in Abu Dhabi in November, insisting that the U.S. instead needs “a very strong middle” approach. Before she dropped out of the presidential race this week, Dalio’s preferred candidate was former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who he said is smart and “can work across party lines.”

He added that a rematch of the 2020 election would be bad for everyone.

“I pray that we do not have another Trump-Biden election, because that will produce a lot of problems,” Dalio said.

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter will deliver clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezReporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Role: Reporter
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez is a reporter for Fortune covering general business news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

Hegseth seeks to convince allies U.S. should stay quiet on Taiwan
AsiaChina
Hegseth seeks to convince allies U.S. should stay quiet on Taiwan
By Josh Xiao, Philip J. Heijmans and BloombergMay 31, 2026
2 hours ago
Special operations commander says while AI could determine targets, humans must be sure ‘it’s going to deliver violence only where we intend it’
AIMilitary
Special operations commander says while AI could determine targets, humans must be sure ‘it’s going to deliver violence only where we intend it’
By Konstantin Toropin and The Associated PressMay 31, 2026
3 hours ago
z
North AmericaNew York City
Zohran Mamdani to skip Israel Day Parade, breaking with decades of tradition for NYC mayors
By Anthony Izaguirre and The Associated PressMay 31, 2026
6 hours ago
A girl holds an tablet in front of her face.
North AmericaEducation
Stop blaming immigration for low U.S. reading scores, top psychologist says. The problem is actually devices giving easy access to social media
By Sasha RogelbergMay 31, 2026
8 hours ago
Several musicians said they were misled about the ‘Great American State Fair’ and dropped out. So Trump is stepping in as the main act
PoliticsDonald Trump
Several musicians said they were misled about the ‘Great American State Fair’ and dropped out. So Trump is stepping in as the main act
By Jesse Bedayn, Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
18 hours ago
U.S. military fires missile into engine room of blockade runner after it ignored more than 20 warnings while trying to enter an Iranian port
PoliticsIran
U.S. military fires missile into engine room of blockade runner after it ignored more than 20 warnings while trying to enter an Iranian port
By Konstantin Toropin and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
21 hours ago

Most Popular

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
Economy
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
By Shawn TullyMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
Politics
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
By Jack Wittels and BloombergMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
Law
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
By Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
20 hours ago
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
Innovation
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
21 hours ago
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran's fast-attack boats
Energy
Damn the torpedoes — More ships are quietly slipping through the Strait of Hormuz as helicopters scare off Iran's fast-attack boats
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
Economy
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.