Taylor Swift, known for calling herself a “childless cat lady,” has officially endorsed Kamala Harris for president in the upcoming US election.
Breaking her silence on politics, the pop superstar voiced her support for Harris over Donald Trump after watching a televised presidential debate. In a post on Instagram, Swift expressed her admiration for Harris, calling her a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and confirming that she would vote for 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,” Swift wrote. “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 humorously signed off by dubbing herself a “childless cat lady,” poking fun at a comment from Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, who had used the term in a failed attempt to criticize Democratic women.
Up until this point, Swift had remained mostly quiet about the election, even as many fans launched the “Swifties for Kamala” movement, raising money for Harris’s campaign.
However, the circulation of AI-generated images falsely showing Swift endorsing Trump prompted her to speak out.
“It made me realize I need to be transparent about my actual voting plans,” Swift explained, addressing the dangers of AI and misinformation. “The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”
While she stopped short of directly telling her fans to vote for Harris, she encouraged them to do their own research, saying, “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.”
Swift also voiced support for Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, praising his long-standing defense of LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and women’s reproductive rights.
As a global icon with millions of followers, Swift’s public stance made waves, especially given her previous hesitance to engage in political discourse. She had notably avoided political endorsements during the 2016 election but broke her silence in 2018 to oppose far-right politician Marsha Blackburn.
Since then, Swift has become more outspoken, endorsing Joe Biden in 2020 and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and women’s reproductive freedoms. She condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the federal right to abortion and encouraged her fans to register to vote.
Swift’s endorsement of Harris quickly went viral, with her Instagram post garnering over two million “likes” within 30 minutes. She concluded her message with a hopeful note: “With love and hope, Taylor Swift.”
