Moments after Vice President Kamala Harris stepped off the stage where she debated former president Donald Trump for the first time, she clinched an endorsement millions around the country have been waiting for: Taylor Swift's.
Swift posted a lengthy statement on Instagram sharing her support for both the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The 14-time Grammy winner praised Harris, writing that she "fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them."
"I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," Swift's post continued. "I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades."
Swift's endorsement received more than 3.1 million likes in less than an hour. Celebrities including Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Caitlin Clark, Chrissy Teigen, and Karlie Kloss liked the post.
The same post opened with an acknowledgement that Donald Trump, the Republican Party's nominee, had shared artificial intelligence-generated images of Swift to promote his campaign. The incident convinced Taylor Swift to speak up about her voting plans. "It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," she wrote. "The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."
Swift's endorsement was accompanied by a photo from her TIME person of the year photoshoot where she holds one of her cats, Benjamin Button. It's a pointed choice: J.D. Vance, Trump's running mate, once disparagingly referred to Democrats as "childless cat ladies." Swift is possibly the most powerful childless cat lady in the world, between her billion-dollar music empire and her ability to sway thousands to register to vote with a single Instagram post, as she did before the 2018 midterm elections.
This is the second major US election where Taylor Swift has publicly endorsed the Democratic candidate for president. In 2020, she announced she would vote for President Joe Biden with a post on her Instagram—where she baked Biden-Harris ticket-themed cookies—and in an essay in V magazine.
In the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Swift opened up about shying away from sharing her political views in the past, on her management team's advice that she would lose her country-leaning fan base if she spoke out. In an argument with her father shown in the film, Swift says she "need[s] to be on the right side of history" and be more forthcoming about her views. Later, she endorses a Democratic candidate for the Senate in her home state of Tennessee.
Taylor Swift's Kamala Harris endorsement will come as a relief to some corners of her fan base, otherwise known as Swifties, and organizing groups like "Swifties 4 Kamala." Her recent friend, Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs player Patrick Mahomes, has come under fire for liking posts on Instagram supporting Trump's presidential platform. Backlash ensued when Swift was seen hugging Mahomes at the US Open over the weekend, with fans wondering whether Swift's views had also shifted rightward since the last election in spite of her previous statements in support of Democratic candidates and causes.
Her post makes her intentions crystal clear.
Below, read Taylor Swift's statement endorsing Kamala Harris for president in full.
Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.
Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation. It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.
I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.
I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.
With love and hope,
Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady
