“I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
The long-awaited presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump gave American voters plenty to chew on Tuesday night — and then, just as it wrapped up, we got another political development that had been awaited with bated breath: the Taylor Swift endorsement.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election,” Swift wrote on Instagram. “I’m voting for [Kamala Harris] 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.”
The statement was accompanied by an image of the superstar musician posing with her beloved pet cat, a sharp jab at Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance. She signed off the post this way: “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady” — a reference to Vance’s controversial statement that the Democratic party was run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable with their own lives and the choices they’ve made.” The remarks drew severe criticism from political commentators, voters, and even America’s favorite friend, Jennifer Aniston.
(It’s worth noting that Swift’s cat wasn’t the only time domesticated animals made headlines on Tuesday — during the debate, Trump repeated the baseless claim that Haitian immigrants in Ohio are “eating the pets of the people that live there.”)
Swift’s endorsement — and whether she would make one — had been highly anticipated, and not just because she’s one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. She was brought into the fray of the race in August, when Trump posted A.I.-generated images falsely claiming he had Swift’s support in the election. Her post-debate Instagram post made direct reference to the matter.
“Recently I was made aware that A.I. of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around A.I., 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,” Swift said.
It remains to be seen how Swift’s choice will affect the race, if at all. But she closed out her message with this: “I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered!” And on that matter, at least, she’s already a proven commodity. After she posted about registering to vote in 2023, the nonprofit group Vote.org reported more than 35,000 brand new registrations.
