Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president after Tuesday night’s debate against Donald Trump ended.
The pop star made her announcement on an Instagram post signed “Childless Kitten” – a reference to comments made by Trump running mate JD Vance.
“I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election,” he wrote. “I am voting for @kamalaharris because he is fighting for the rights and causes that I believe need a hero to champion.”
Swift went on to call Harris a “tough, gifted leader”.
He added: “I believe that we can achieve a lot in this country if we are led by a calm spirit and not chaos.”
Swift’s caption was accompanied by a photo of her with a cat. His “Childless Cat Lady” comment was a nod to comments made by Vance in 2021, who is running for Trump for vice president.
Vance, a senator from Ohio, faced criticism for a clip in which he called several prominent Democrats – including Harris – “a bunch of cat ladies with no sad children in their lives”. He recently he said his comments were “sarcastic”.
Swift went on to praise Harris’ choice for vice president, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who he said had “for decades championed LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body”.
The singer said she was partly motivated to share her decision to vote with the public after an AI image falsely endorsing Trump was posted on her website.
“It really brought together my fear of AI, and the dangers of disinformation,” she said. “It has brought me to the conclusion that I must come forward with my real plans for this election as a voter.”
Swift is one of several celebrities who have praised Harris, including singers John Legend and Olivia Rodrigo, actor George Clooney and director Spike Lee.
Meanwhile, former wrestler Hulk Hogan, TV star Amber Rose and billionaire Elon Musk have endorsed Trump.
Swift’s intervention came after a 90-minute presidential debate, in which the two candidates clashed over issues such as abortion rights, the economy and immigration.
This is not the first time the pop star has endorsed the Democratic nominee in the race against Trump. Swift announced her support for President Joe Biden and Harris as her running mate a month before the 2020 election.
Swift has also been a vocal critic of Trump during his presidency surrounding protests across the country over the police killing of George Floyd.
“After fanning the flames of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, how dare you pretend to be superior before threatening violence?” wrote on Twitter/X. “We will vote for you in November.”
Noting Swift’s political history, one scholar who studies the intersection of news and politics suggested that this endorsement was unlikely to move the needle in Harris’ favor.
“It’s no surprise at all, he endorsed Biden and Harris in 2020 so we already know his politics,” said Lauren Rosewarne, a professor at the University of Melbourne.
Swift’s endorsement could have an impact on voter registration, Ms Rosewarne told the BBC. But because his supporters skew young and female — and that’s already Harris’ base — his endorsement may not have much impact in November.
The singer has 283 million followers on Instagram. Her affirmation received more than two million likes on Instagram just half an hour after she posted it.
In his letter, Swift urged first-time voters to register and said he would post a link with voting details on his page.
“I’ve done my research, I’ve made my choice,” he said. “Your research is yours, and the choice is yours.”
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