Taylor Swift's Endorsement of Kamala Harris Shakes Up 2024 Presidential Race

Election 2024 (Taylor's Version): What Taylor Swift's Kamala Harris vote means for her politics and career

As Donald Trump raged on (and on) about the size of his rally crowds and about immigrants supposedly eating the pets of the good people of Springfield, Ohio, Vice President Kamala Harris looked at her opponent in Tuesday night's presidential debate with a blend of scorn, pity and disbelief that made me think about Taylor Swift's song "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived," in which she coolly dissects a guy whose long con has finally run out. Perhaps Swift saw something of herself too: Moments after the debate ended, the pop superstar endorsed Harris in a lengthy post on Instagram, where she has more than 283 million followers. "Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight," she wrote, describing her determination to "watch and read everything I can" about the presidential candidates' "proposed policies and plans for this country." Harris will be getting her vote, she added, "because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." Swift's endorsement of Harris was probably inevitable. In 2018, after years of staying out of politics, she told her fans that she planned to vote for Democrat Phil Bredesen over Republican Marsha Blackburn in a Tennessee Senate race. And in 2020, she came out in support of Joe Biden in his presidential campaign against Trump, posting a photo of herself holding a tray of Biden/Harris cookies and telling V magazine, "I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs." Yet this feels different, not least because of how dramatically Swift's celebrity has grown over the last four years. The blockbuster Eras tour, the smash rerecordings of her early work, the record fourth album of the year win at the Grammy Awards, the whirlwind romance with the NFL's Travis Kelce - it's all combined to make Swift arguably the most famous person in the world, with a vast and loyal following filled with the young voters coveted by politicians. Certainly, Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, welcomed the perceived value of Swift's endorsement: Within minutes of the singer's Instagram post, the vice president's official merch store was offering Harris-Walz friendship bracelets modeled on those that Swifties eagerly trade at Eras tour dates. Told by Rachel Maddow live on MSNBC that Swift had thrown in with them, Walz grinned like he'd won the lottery. But it's not just the scale of Swift's success that makes her endorsement stand out this time; it's also her tone. In a reference to much-discussed comments made by Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, about women who don't have children, Swift signed her note "Childless Cat Lady" - a kind of sneering flex we haven't heard from her before on the rare occasions when she's discussed politics. The attitude is in keeping, though, with Swift's latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," particularly in a song like "But Daddy I Love Him," in which she appears to be mocking the pearl-clutching contingent of her fan base that disapproved of her rumored pre-Kelce relationship with Matty Healy of the 1975 because of offensive jokes he'd made. "God save the most judgmental creeps who say they want what's best for me," she sings, "Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see." "But Daddy I Love Him" is a song about moving beyond the limitations of what people expect of Swift - violently crashing through those limitations, in fact - and it came to mind even before the debate when Swift was photographed at the U.S. Open in New York hugging her friend Brittany Mahomes after another bit of fan outrage connected to Mahomes' apparent approval of Trump. (A flow chart might help keep all these alliances and rivalries straight.) Basically, Swift's enormous fame seems to have given her a sense of imperviousness to criticism - from trolls on social media, from fans who think they know what's best for her, from red-state Swifties she's seemed reluctant in the past to alienate with her progressive views. In a funny twist, a sense of invincibility is also the trait that led Trump to bring Swift's potentially damaging endorsement of Harris on himself. On Instagram, Swift explained that she was moved to back Harris publicly because of Trump's recent deployment of fake AI images that suggested she was endorsing the former president. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she wrote. "It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter." In other words, Trump's confidence that he could get away with using the bogus images of Swift - a confidence founded on everything else he's gotten away with over the last few years - brought him into direct conflict with the only person on Earth whose swagger likely surpasses his. Think for a second, if you haven't, about the fact that Swift's endorsement post didn't feature a picture of Harris but of Swift herself (holding her cat, no less). As much as this was about her belief in Harris' political project, it was about her taking control of a threatened personal narrative, much as she does throughout "The Tortured Poets Department." Think Trump listened before messing with the wrong megastar?

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president

"I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," the singer wrote on Instagram. Taylor Swift revealed that she'll be casting her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, and she's urged her enormous fandom to do their research and head to the polls. The superstar announced on Tuesday after the presidential debate that she planned to vote for the vice president in a lengthy Instagram post signed "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." Her endorsement -- which she shared while on break from her record-shattering Eras Tour -- marks her latest effort to vocalize her political beliefs after years of laying low. "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," she said in her post. She added, "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." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) Before Swift voiced her support for this year's Democratic presidential nominee, former president Donald Trump embraced a fake "Swifties for Trump" movement and Swift endorsement from a collage of artificial intelligence-generated images in August. The AI photos Trump posted showed groups of young women smiling in "Swifties for Trump" T-shirts, and in one doctored photo, captioned "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump," the AI version of Swift dons the singer's signature red lipstick while wearing an Uncle Sam outfit and copying his famous finger point. But considering that Swift previously compared Trump's presidency to an "autocracy" and accused him of "stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism," many of her fans weren't fooled. Skip to end of carousel The Style section Style is where The Washington Post explains what's happening on the front lines of culture -- including the arts, media, social trends, politics and yes, fashion -- with wit, personality and deep reporting. For more Style stories, click here. To subscribe to the Style Memo newsletter, click here. End of carousel "Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site," Swift said in her statement on Instagram. "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." Swifties speculated -- as they commonly do on her social media posts -- about whether she was subtly supporting Harris earlier in August, after a photo she posted from an Eras Tour performance in Poland included a silhouette of a waving woman who looked like the vice president. But the resemblance in this case was a false alarm, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The shadow was a background singer. While fans of the megastar didn't correctly predict how the celebrity would use her influence to support Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, her decision to issue an endorsement wasn't a complete shock to those familiar with the performer's recent political advocacy. Swift announced in 2020 that she was voting for President Joe Biden and Harris, sharing a photo of her smiling while holding a plate of cookies customized with the then-Democratic ticket's campaign logo. "The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included," she told V Magazine at the time. "Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first. The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them." She's also supported liberal causes, including LGBTQ+ rights and gun control, and has condemned racial injustice. And during the 2018 midterm election season, she notably endorsed two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee, adding that she was appalled by Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn's opposition to LGBTQ+ rights and the Violence Against Women Act, which addresses domestic violence and stalking. The Instagram post was a turning point for Swift, who had previously adhered to the "Shut up and sing" retort, encouraging voting but not siding with either major political party throughout her more than decade-long music career. "I feel like at 22, it's my right to vote, but it's not my right to tell other people what to do," she said in 2012 on the "The Late Show With David Letterman," garnering audience applause and a fist bump from the show's host. But in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, while she was embroiled in the Ye beef and relationship drama that would inspire her "Reputation" era, she was criticized for shying away from supporting or condoning any of the candidates. Her lack of a political stance was so controversial at the time that a 2017 Instagram post -- in which she said she "couldn't have asked for a better year" -- incited an online uproar. As Swift weighed whether to post her 2018 statement, a conversation captured in the Netflix documentary "Miss Americana," she said she regretted not speaking out against Trump during the election, and she decided she had no choice but to be politically vocal, against the wishes of her dad and management team. "I'm saying right now that this is something that I know is right," she said during the tense discussion. "I need to be on the right side of history."

Taylor Swift Makes Her Long-Awaited Presidential Endorsement

Taylor Swift has officially made her endorsement following the presidential debate. Swift posted to Instagram Tuesday night announcing that she will be voting for Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz. "I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift posted to Instagram. "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." Walz reacted to the post already as well. "I'm grateful to Taylor Swift and I say that as a cat owner," he said. "That was eloquent and clear and that's the type of courage we need in America." Harris' deputy campaign manager also posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that the campaign has seen the post. The campaign is officially selling Swift-like merchandise reminiscent of the friendship bracelets traded at the singer's concerts. A two-pack is sold for $20 and can currently be pre-ordered. Swift shared that she hopes her fans also do their research like she has done. "Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered!" Swift posted. "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." Swift signed her post "Taylor Swift, childless cat lady," a call back to what Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance said in 2021. In an interview with then-Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Vance, who was a Senate candidate at the time, complained that the country was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too." The photo she posted her endorsement with showed a photo of her and her cat, Benjamin Button. The pop star's post comes after the debate, which she said she watched. "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," Swift posted. "As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies for this country." Swift also responded to use of artificial intelligence images of Swift by former President Donald Trump to "endorse him." "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," Swift said. "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." Trump posted to Truth Social images of the pop singer dressed like Uncle Sam, similar to a World War I recruitment poster, with the words: "Taylor Swift Wants You To Vote For Donald Trump." Trump captioned the post on his Truth Social account with the words: "I accept!" Trump later told Fox Business that he didn't know anything about the images. "I don't know anything about them, other than somebody else generated them," Trump said. "I didn't generate them. Somebody came out. They said, oh, look at this. These were all made up by other people. A.I. is always very dangerous in that way. It's happening with me too. They're making -- having me speak. I speak perfectly, I mean, absolutely perfectly on A.I., and I'm, like, endorsing other products and things. It's a little bit dangerous out there." In 2020, Swift accused Trump of "stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism" and putting "millions of Americans' lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power." Swift was also set in the middle of a Trump discussion thanks to football wife Brittany Mahomes, who has expressed her support for the Republican nominee. Fans of Taylor Swift, Mahomes's friend from the football season since their partners are on the same team, have not held back, though. "Taylor about to enter football season and NOW brittany mahomes comes out as a trump supporter... i cant remember the last time the taylor nation WASNT in flames i f**ing hate it here," one person wrote via X. Swift and Mahomes were seen together at the US Open, shutting down rift rumors. On X, formerly Twitter, @BeckyWTGH38 wrote: "Looks like Taylor and Brittany are just fine. Can we just stop putting these women against each other." The singer was infamously apolitical in the past but has become more vocal about her positions in recent years, endorsing President Joe Biden in 2020. Fans have already quickly responded to Swift's post. While she limited comments on her Instagram, fans have taken to other social media platforms and are widely sharing her post. Lots are writing "Boom!" on X, formerly known as Twitter. Others called it "perfect timing." One poster joked that Swift heard Trump and Vance's claims about people eating cats in Ohio and had to stand up for the Democratic ticket. While it took a while for Swift to "Speak Now," her fans were "Ready for it" from the start of Harris' nomination. Over 20,000 Swifties joined a Zoom webinar kickoff call with Swifties for Kamala on August 27. The group raised over $122,000 for Harris and Walz's campaign with the likes of other big-name fans like Representatives Becca Balint and Chris Deluzio, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Carole King. "First of all, I am a Swiftie," King said, adding that Swift is her "music granddaughter. "I also want to say that I'm excited about Kamala because so many people are excited about Kamala." Swifties for Kamala, a grassroots group of Taylor Swift fans working to get to elect "the 1" to push for "Change" started immediately after President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential election. Emerald Medrano, a 22-year-old Swiftie from Texas, decided to take action. "I feel like us US swifties should mass organize and help campaign for Kamala Harris and spread how horrendous Project 2025 would be to help get people's butts down to the polls in November," he posted. The same day, the coalition started. Within a week, Swifties for Kamala had tens of thousands of followers on social media -- the Swifties 4 Kamala TikTok account has almost 122,000 followers now. "I began S4K because I believe in the best parts of Swifties," Medrano said. "In our kindness, our humor, our passion. I knew that, as Swifties, we could unite and create something beautiful." The Swifties for Kamala substack has resources for people to become poll workers, learn "what's at stake" with Project 2025 and sign up for phone banking. It has posted about reproductive freedom, the child tax, LGBTQ+ rights and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Can Taylor Swift's support swing it for Kamala Harris?

It's the endorsement that everyone's been waiting for, and while not surprising, it means a lot. Several celebrities have reacted - including a strange comment from Elon Musk which has gone viral. What weight can Swift's support have on the November elections? Within minutes of the end of Tuesday night's presidential debate, Taylor Swift announced her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the race against Donald Trump. Swift posted a strong message to her Instagram Story, saying that the vice president "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." She also mentioned the Trump campaign's sharing of AI-generated image of her that falsely suggested that Swift had endorsed a felon for president. Swift wrote that she 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." She even ended her post with a dig at Trump's running mate JD Vance: "With love and hope, Taylor Swift... Childless Cat Lady" - referencing Vance's insulting comment about what he considers to be the primary demographic of the Democratic party. A nice touch, especially since Swift is known for her love of cats. While celebrity endorsements don't usually have a huge impact on campaigns, Swift is no ordinary celebrity, and her statement feels crucial in a presidential race that is expected to be a tight one. Swift commands a huge fan following, has 283 million followers, and more than 1 million people have already liked her Instagram endorsement post. When Taylor speaks, her fans listen - and a single media post proves how she can influence even the world of politics. The pop superstar could very well boost enthusiasm from younger voters, and her past statements have led thousands of people to register to vote. In 2018, for example, the nonpartisan nonprofit voter group Vote.org reported 65,000 new voter registrations in the space of 24 hours. This came after Swift endorsed two Democratic congressional candidates. In September last year, the singer posted a short message on Instagram encouraging her followers to register to vote. Afterwards, Vote.org reported a 1,226% jump in participation in the hour after the post. The number of 18-year-olds registered was more than double 2022's figures. And it's not just the US - this year, Brussels asked Swift to mobilise young voters ahead of the elections to the European Parliament. In May of this year, Newsweek quoted a poll indicating that a third of voters under 25 said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate Swift has endorsed. California Governor Gavin Newsom has previously made public appeals for Swift to promote the Democrats, saying that Swift's influence will have "a profoundly powerful impact on the 2024 US presidential election." "What she was able to accomplish just in getting young people activated to consider that they have a voice and that they should have a choice in the next election, I think, is profoundly powerful," he told TMZ. Reactions from celebrities, politicians, and fans quickly followed her statement. Among the stars liking Swift's statement were Blake Lively, Mindy Kaling, Lupita Nyong'o, Jennifer Aniston, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Garner and Oprah. Harris running mate Tim Walz responded to Swift's endorsement, which was read to him by Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. "I'm incredibly grateful, first of all, to Taylor Swift. I say that also as a cat owner...That was eloquent and it was clear and that's the type of courage we need in America to stand up." He added: "We've seen it out of those Republicans who were at the DNC. We've seen it out of women who would like to have their personal lives kept personal but are forced to go out there because they nearly died because they can't get abortion services in a pregnancy. And now you have somebody like Taylor Swift coming out making that very clear. This would be the opportunity, Swifties: KamalaHarris.com, get on over there, get things going." Michael Tyler, the spokesman for the Harris campaign, said: "We're incredibly grateful for her lending her hand toward this campaign. Obviously, she's incredibly influential. Millions of followers across social media. And what I also think she represents is the growing diversity of the Harris-Walz coalition." When asked about the endorsement, David Bossie, a surrogate for the Trump campaign, said: "Don't care." He added: "The American people are very smart, and sure it's interesting that celebrities endorse one person of another, but it doesn't have an impact on people's votes. So we'll see if this will be the first time in American history that it does." To no one's surprise, Elon Musk chipped in, with the comment, "Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life." His comment quickly went viral and garnered much criticism. As you can imagine, many online are now calling it and declaring the election to be over. Naturally, Andrew Tate, the controversial media personality awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, had his word on the matter: Goes to show that the world's current most popular musician has got the MAGA crowd riled up, and despite them protesting otherwise, Swift's endorsement could not only prove to be instrumental, but also stands as an important cultural milestone in the 2024 elections. Are you ready for it?

Taylor Swift's response to presidential debate? She quickly endorsed Kamala Harris.

In an Instagram post shared following the debate, Swift wrote in a caption of a photo of her with her cat that she "will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz." "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," she wrote. During her 18-year career, Swift has so far publicly endorsed only three candidates, including Biden in the 2020 race for president. Many were waiting for Swift's endorsement in the 2024 election, knowing the popstar has the power to move her fans, and speculating she would endorse Harris. Swift has more than 283 million followers on Instagram and has used this platform in the past to encourage her fanbase to register and vote. In the fall of 2023, she helped get more than 30,000 voters registered in just one day. Some swing states in 2020 were decided by less than that margin. "We're thrilled about Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz - like we've said since starting Swifties For Kamala, we've had no doubt that Taylor would endorse at the right time and are excited about the momentum she will bring to this campaign," said Irene Kim, co-founder + executive director of Swifties For Kamala, shortly after Swift posted in support of Harris. The pop icon's popularity seems only to be growing. She is nearing the end of her almost two-year long Eras Tour - the highest-grossing tour of all time, added two Grammys this year to her total of 14, was named Time magazine's 2023 person of the year, released the chart-topping "The Tortured Poets Department" album, and her Eras Tour concert film is the highest grossing concert film of all time. There had been speculation that Swift would appear at the Democratic National Convention, where stars such as Oprah, The Chicks, Pink, Mindy Kaling and John Legend threw their support behind Harris. Swift's endorsement was posted just a few minutes after the debate ended. She signed the message "With love and hope, Taylor Swift," adding "Childless Cat Lady." Her endorsement addressed subjects from IVF to LGBTQ+ rights. Within an hour of posting, more than 3 million people had liked the post, ranging from Chrissy Teigen to Olympic soccer player Rose Lavelle. "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," Swift wrote. "Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site," Swift wrote, referencing Trump taking to his social media platform Truth Social and posting several suspected artificial intelligence-generated images alluding to Swift and Swifties' support for his campaign, despite the singer vocalizing disdain for the Republican nominee in the past. "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," she said. Trump appeared in the spin room after the debate and spoke to reporters. Asked for his reaction to Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris, he replied, "I have no idea." Get all your Taylor news first Subscribe to our Taylor Swift reporter's weekly newsletter, This Swift Beat Swift, who has helped drive people to register to vote in past elections, apparently will do so again. "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," she said. Her story included a link to vote.gov where people can register to vote or update their registration. She signed the message "With love and hope, Taylor Swift," adding "Childless Cat Lady" in a direct dig at comments made by Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance. The Republican vice presidential nominee came under fire for his "childless cat lady" remarks in July, when a 2021 interview resurfaced in which he labeled women without biological children, including Harris, as "childless cat ladies" with "no direct stake" in America. Taylor Swift politics analysis: Why do we care who she votes for? In 2012, the singer told Norwegian journalist Fredrik Skavlan why she didn't voice her political opinions. "I just figure I'm a 22-year-old singer and I don't know if people really want to hear my political views," she said. "I think they just kind of want to hear me sing songs about breakups and feelings." The audience laughed, and the host moved on. The singer stayed mum in the 2016 matchup between Trump and Hillary Clinton. She kicked the hinges off the political closet in 2018 endorsing U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper in his 2018 re-election bid to Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, and Biden in the 2020 race for president. In 2020, the singer explained in her documentary "Miss Americana" why she stopped being afraid to voice her opinion. When warned by her publicist about Trump coming after her, Swift quipped, "I don't care. If I get bad press for saying, 'Don't put a homophobic racist in office,' then I get bad press for that." "The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included," she said. "I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year's presidential election. Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs." Swift's power is massive among her diverse fan base that she habitually has encouraged to register and vote. In the fall of 2023, she helped get more than 30,000 voters registered in just one day. Some swing states in 2020 were decided by less than that margin. "She has enormous potential to deliver a message, including an endorsement, that could carry considerable weight with some of the voters that both parties need to attract and motivate," says Nancy Gibbs, the Edward R. Murrow Professor of the Practice of Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. "Influence is not the same as power; it's more about faith than force, more a skill than a tool. She has shown she can wield it extremely effectively and shrewdly." Swift has nine shows left in America: three in Miami, three in New Orleans and three in Indianapolis. Her final of three shows in Indianapolis is on Nov. 3, two days before the election. 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.

A History of Taylor Swift's Involvement in Politics

Taylor Swift's announcement that she'll vote for Vice President Kamala Harris comes six years after the singer first made a political endorsement. "Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight," Swift wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday to her 283 million followers. "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." Until 2018, Swift had remained tight-lipped about politics -- and she has faced criticism over the years for whether and when she chooses to make her views known. Here's a timeline of when Swift has weighed in on U.S. politics. Swift first broke her political silence in 2018, when she criticized Tennessee Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn and threw her support behind Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for House of Representatives. "In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," Swift, who said she would vote in the Tennessee midterm elections, wrote in an Instagram post. Later that month, Swift posted a photo with her mom on Oct. 30, 2018 in support of Bredesen. "We want leadership, not fear-based extremism," she wrote. A scene in the documentary about the singer that premiered in Jan. 2020, called Taylor Swift: Miss Americana, shows Swift and her team talking about her decision to endorse Bredesen over Blackburn. "I can't see another commercial [with] her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values,'" she said. " I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That's not what we stand for." While her father and members of her staff worried about security and the effects of taking a political stance, Swift said, "I need to be on the right side of history. ... Dad, I need you to forgive me for doing it, because I'm doing it." Despite Swift's support for Bredesen, Blackburn went on to win the election. Also in October, in the caption of a photo of her toes painted red, white, and blue, Swift encouraged her fans to take advantage of early voting, which allows voters to submit their ballots before election day. "Something I wish I knew about when I was 18 and voting for the first time: ✨EARLY VOTING✨," Swift wrote. "It makes it so quick and easy to go and cast your vote before November 6. Early voting starts TODAY in Tennessee and goes to Nov 1 🇺🇸." On June 1st, 2019, Swift shared an open letter on X -- then called Twitter -- urging Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee to defend LGBTQ rights by supporting the Equality Act, legislation meant to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. She criticized then-President Donald Trump for his opposition to the bill. "I personally reject the President's stance that his administration 'supports equal treatment of all' but that the Equality Act 'in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights,'" Swift wrote. "One cannot take the position that one supports a community while condemning it in the next breath as going against 'conscience' or 'parental rights.' That statement implies that there is something wrong with being anything other than heterosexual and cisgender, which is an incredibly harmful message to send to a nation full of healthy and loving families with same-sex, non binary or transgender parents, sons or daughters." In the same post, Swift asked her fans to write similar letters to their senators and sign a Change.org petition she started in support of the act. "Let's show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally," she wrote. In an essay for Elle titled "30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30", Swift shared, "I'm finding my voice in terms of politics." "I took a lot of time educating myself on the political system and the branches of government that are signing off on bills that affect our day-to-day life," she wrote. "I saw so many issues that put our most vulnerable citizens at risk, and felt like I had to speak up to try and help make a change." She declared that she planned to be more politically active. "Invoking racism and provoking fear through thinly veiled messaging is not what I want from our leaders, and I realized that it actually is my responsibility to use my influence against that disgusting rhetoric," she said. "I'm going to do more to help." In an interview with the Guardian, Swift said she regretted staying silent during the 2016 election -- and that, if she had spoken out, she would have endorsed former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. She called Trump's presidency "an autocracy" and vowed to act differently in the 2020 election. "I just wanna do everything I can for 2020. I wanna figure out exactly how I can help, what are the most effective ways to help," she said. Swift said that, growing up as a country music star, she was often cautioned to avoid being like The Chicks, who faced blowback from the industry for voicing their opposition to the Iraq War. "I watched country music snuff that candle out. The most amazing group we had, just because they talked about politics. And they were getting death threats. They were made such an example that basically every country artist that came after that, every label tells you, 'Just do not get involved, no matter what.'" Swift made her first presidential endorsement on October 7, 2020, where she shared her plan to vote for President Joe Biden and Harris in an interview with V Magazine. "I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year's presidential election," she said. "Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs." On the day landmark abortion rights decision Roe v. Wade was overturned, the star retweeted an open letter from former First Lady Michelle Obama, and added that she was "absolutely terrified that this is where we are." "After so many decades of people fighting for women's rights to their own bodies, today's decision has stripped us of that," Swift wrote. On National Voting Day, Swift posted an Instagram story linking to Vote.org and encouraging fans to register to vote. The organization said that more than 35,000 eligible voters registered to vote following her post. Trump posted AI-generated images of Swift dressed as Uncle Sam and saying, "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump." The Truth Social post also appeared to show numerous Swift fans expressing their support for the Republican presidential nominee. Swift later said the fake images circulated by Trump inspired her to go public about her support for Harris: "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she wrote in her Instagram post endorsing Harris. "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." The night of the first presidential debate between Trump and Harris, Swift posted on Instagram that she'll vote for Harris in November. "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 wrote. "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." She encouraged her fans to make their own decisions in the race: "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." She signed off as a "Childless Cat Lady," referencing Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance's controversial comments about his Democratic opponents.

Conservative Swifties say her endorsement of Harris won't affect their vote or their love of her music

Taylor Swift on Aug. 15 in London.Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images for TAS Rights Management Angel Sobolewski doesn't take political advice from pop stars -- not even her favorite, Taylor Swift. That's why Sobolewski, who regularly promotes Republican candidates through her profile on X, is voting for former President Donald Trump in November despite being a Swiftie. "I think you can like an artist without, like, agreeing with their politics," Sobolewski, 21, said. "You know, if we had to agree with their politics, we'd probably be left with like two people." Swift's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday after her debate with Trump has rankled and disappointed some of the pop star's many fans on the conservative side of the political spectrum. Others said they're not thrilled about the endorsement -- but they were "Ready For It." "We learned last night that she'll be supporting Kamala Harris in the election, but that's OK, and that, you know, diversity of ideology and diversity of opinion in the United States are important, and we should keep our horizons open," conservative Swift fan Jenna Piwowarczyk told NBC News. On social media, many Swifties said they anticipated the singer, who endorsed President Joe Biden in 2020 but rarely makes political statements, would likely vote for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Those who spoke to NBC News said her comments wouldn't stop them from listening to the global superstar's music. "I think that the endorsement was nothing too unexpected," said Heath Johnson, 15, a self-described "Gen Z Swiftie" of Wisconsin. "I think Taylor really dislikes Trump and that she would endorse a dead body over him if it came to it." Swift's post to Instagram on Tuesday, shared after Harris and Trump's first debate, explained that she decided to back 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," Swift wrote. Those statements were anticipated by some right-leaning Swift fans. "We're not surprised. We know that Taylor leans left on stuff, and in her statement she talked about that she'll be voting for Kamala and Tim Walz because of social issues," said Piwowarczyk, 19, who said she will be voting for Trump in the November election. On Wednesday, during an interview with "Fox & Friends," Trump responded to Swift's endorsement of Harris, saying, "I was not a Taylor Swift fan, it was just a question of time." He later added, "But she's a very liberal person, she seems to always endorse a Democrat and she'll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace." In her endorsement post, Swift also mentioned that Trump had shared images which appeared to have been generated by AI to his social media platform Truth Social of both her and her fans supporting Trump. She said because of this, she felt the need to speak out. Of the images Trump posted, two were real photos of Piwowarczyk in which she was wearing a "Swifties for Trump" shirt. "I was disappointed in the Trump campaign for posting AI pictures, because it kind of dilutes the realness of this movement," Piwowarczyk said, adding that "there are thousands of girls who do support Trump and listen to Taylor Swift." One such group is "Swifties for Trump," a loose ideological group of mostly women who identify as conservative Swift lovers. In a lengthy post, the "Swifties for Trump" account on X, which has no affiliation with Swift, said Wednesday that the group respects Swift's right to endorse any candidate but that it won't change the group's passion for Trump. The post emphasized that while the group had no intention to pressure Swift to vote for Trump, the singer does not share the struggles of the average American. "She isn't worried, like most young Americans, that she may never be able to afford to buy a house -- a quintessential part of the American Dream. .... She's worked extremely hard since she was a teenager to earn all that she has. The majority of us, however, live in a very different world than Taylor Swift," the post read in part. The "Swifties for Trump" account declined to comment when reached by NBC News. Other Swifties, like Jason Richardson, 23, echoed the sentiment that Swift's billionaire status means she's "out of touch" with her fans. Richardson said some Swift-lovers can't afford "food, housing, and transportation" because of the Biden administration. Richardson said he's one of the Swifties genuinely disappointed by Swift's endorsement of Harris. "I am still a big fan of hers," Richardson said. "Her endorsement of the Harris campaign does not change my love or admiration for her. I just wish she made a better choice." The worldwide phenomenon of Swift and, more recently, "The Eras Tour" has attracted fans from all walks of life. In the past, some have speculated that Swift was a Republican and Vice reported in 2016 that white supremacists viewed her as "aryan goddess." But Swift has consistently advocated for left-leaning candidates and policies since speaking up on politics for the first time six years ago. The 2020 documentary "Miss Americana" featured scenes of Swift fighting with her team to publicly denounce Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., then a member of the House, whom she described as "Trump in a wig." That same year she shared a post of cookies with Biden's name on them. Johnson, who spoke to NBC News via X direct message, said he hoped Swift would look at what the Republican Party has to offer beyond Trump. He suggested Swift look at candidates like Nikki Haley, who he believes aligns more closely with Swift than Harris or Trump. Still, he said the endorsement will change little in the Swift fanbase. "The few conservative Swifties who didn't want her to endorse [Harris, like me] weren't thrilled to say the least but we aren't surprised either," he said. Most said they hope that, in the future, Swift and other celebrities will encourage people to vote but won't say which candidate in particular they're backing. "I think it's pretty commonly known that she is a liberal, so it wasn't surprising, and I wasn't even really disappointed," Sobolewski said. "I do kind of wish that she just kept it to herself."

Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement has thrilled fans - but will it move the election needle?

US Swifties who were waiting for their idol's statement are 'hopeful' about its impact as Republicans criticize the move Addy Al-Saigh had already gone to bed on Tuesday night when her phone woke her up with a notification: Taylor Swift had added a post on Instagram. The pop star had endorsed Kamala Harris for president. Al-Saigh was thrilled. "She has this impact on such a large amount of people that it is super important that she uses her voice, which I'm so glad she did," said Al-Saigh, a 19-year-old college student who lives in Virginia. "I am hopeful, definitely hopeful, that this will help push voter registration and push more people to get out and speak up and use their voice." Perhaps no celebrity endorsement has ever been as hotly anticipated as Swift's - and she delivered in Miss Americana style on Tuesday, voicing her support for Harris and Tim Walz just minutes after the presidential debate between Harris and Donald Trump concluded. "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 wrote of Harris. "I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz," who Swift tagged, "who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades". The question on many minds is: does it matter? Although it's difficult to measure the impact of celebrity endorsements, they can move the needle in elections, especially by energizing voters who may otherwise sit on the sidelines. After Swift encouraged her fans to vote in 2023, Vote.org recorded more than 35,000 registrations in a single day. Al-Saigh first registered to vote because Swift had posted a voter registration link in her Instagram Stories. In January, polling conducted for Newsweek found that 18% of voters say they are "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a Swift-backed candidate, while 17% say they are less likely. Swift's endorsement is likely to hold particular sway among Americans under 35, since about 30% of that group say they are more likely to vote for someone Swift supports. More than half of Swift's most avid fans already identify as Democrats, a 2023 Morning Consult poll found. The other half of her fanbase is split evenly between Republicans and independents. Swifties for Kamala, which is working to mobilize fans of Swift and has raised more than $150,000 for the Harris campaign, celebrated the endorsement. "We knew she would speak when the time was right and are so excited to keep up the fight," Irene Kim, the organization's co-founder and executive director, said in a statement. "Swifties are a diverse group - it's what strengthens our connections to one another and shapes our shared values." Trump, meanwhile, dismissed Swift's endorsement. "She'll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace," he said Wednesday on Fox & Friends. Matt Gaetz, the Republican congressman from Florida, said that although he likes Swift's music, he wants "to live in a world where liberals make my art and conservatives make my laws". Jasmine Amussen, a 35-year-old Democrat in the swing state of Georgia who previously responded to a Guardian survey about Swift's political power, was particularly struck by the musician's mention of how Trump had used AI-generated images of the pop star to falsely suggest that Swift had endorsed him. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," Swift wrote in her Instagram post. "I think young people, especially young women, are, like, really grossed out and horrified by things like that," said Amussen, who said her vote was not personally affected by Swift's endorsement. "For people who have spent their whole life online and who have experienced a lot of really negative things about being online, like revenge porn and the Nudify websites and things like that, I think it really meant something that she said it like that." Swift signed off her endorsement as "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady" - a reference to comments by Trump's running mate, JD Vance, denigrating women who do not have children. Shortly afterward, Elon Musk, a Trump supporter, suggested he would impregnate her. "Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life," Musk tweeted. "I found it disgusting," Jared Quigg, a 22-year-old Swift fan in Indiana, said of Musk's post. "I despise that man." Still, Quigg doesn't think that Swift's post will motivate many voters. "If she were to speak up on specific issues, I think that would move the needle on things. But as far as her endorsement, she didn't really delve too much into issues," said Quigg, who plans to vote for Harris even though he doesn't "really like her much at all". "Now, if she were to speak up about fracking or Palestine, issues that might be considered more important to progressives, perhaps that could have an impact on the party", Quigg added. Al-Saigh, for her part, wants to get her Virginia college's Swift fan club to do work around the election, such as helping register people to vote, now that the musician has made her views clear. "Taylor Swift is such a global sensation that if she cares about something, it's important," Al-Saigh said. "That's the way I feel, and that's the way I think a lot of other people feel too."

Why Taylor Swift Endorsed Kamala Harris -- And Cats

The last three words of Taylor Swift's latest Instagram post were the funniest. After yesterday's presidential debate, a new picture appeared in her feed, which has 283 million followers. Swift was holding her cat Benjamin Button, and the message was signed off: "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." Just from that, you can guess what the rest of the caption contains: an endorsement of the Democrats in November. In her post, Swift described Kamala Harris as a "steady-handed, gifted leader" and praised her running mate, Tim Walz, who she said "has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades." Read: How Harris roped a dope The caption didn't mention Donald Trump's running mate, J. D. Vance -- and it didn't need to. Anyone who follows politics knows that Vance has repeatedly suggested that childless women are "miserable," and that people who aren't parents do not have a "personal and direct stake" in the future of America. In an interview with Fox News in 2021, he summed up his views in a memorable phrase: that the country was being run by a "bunch of childless cat ladies." Swift's response -- wryly applying that label to herself, as a successful pop star with a gazillion fans, a billion-dollar net worth, and a handsome football-player boyfriend -- suggests that she might be the last living exponent of the Obama-era ideal of staying classy in the face of provocation. Remember "When they go low, we go high"? Very 2016. The Democrats' convention in August showed that the party has given up on trying to rise above Trump's outrages and has instead embraced being salty in return: The high/lowlight was when Senator Elizabeth Warren, 75, made a couch joke. Even Barack Obama slyly referred to the small size of Trump's ... crowds. (The Democrats liked that one so much they have turned it into an advert.) By contrast, Swift's endorsement was incredibly restrained. She made a positive case for the Democrats' policy platform on the issues she cares about, with only a glancing reference to Trump's "chaos," and ended with a suggestion that fans register to vote, do their own research, and make their own choices. This was not a thunderous denunciation of Trump as an urgent threat to democracy. Nor did it use any of the language popular with left-leaning online sites in the late 2010s and 2020s, where writers agonized over staying friends with Republican voters, or whether to talk to their Trumpy uncle at Thanksgiving. Swift's statement merely outlined her own decision, and acknowledged that other people might make a different one. Read: J. D. Vance's very weird views about women That is more radical than it might seem -- because Swift will take criticism from both sides as a result. Mainstream Democrats, of course, are delighted: When Walz received the news live on MSNBC, he clenched his fist to his heart in appreciation. But some of her most ardent fans will find the endorsement tepid, and her criticisms of Trump and Vance too muted. Plenty of leftists will be angry that she didn't mention Gaza. The very online right, meanwhile, is likely to lose its mind that the endorsement exists at all. Because Swift is such a big star, who has written so personally about her life, some of her fans feel a sense of ownership over her. She faced a backlash recently for hugging Brittany Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, when both attended the U.S. Open. (Brittany Mahomes has liked pro-Trump posts on Instagram.) The usual Swiftie Kremlinology spread across social media: Did Swift look like she was into the hug, or doing it grudgingly? Did she avoid Mahomes for the rest of the match? And why had they sat in separate suites at the Chiefs game the previous week? Maybe Swift does hate and reject her after all! However, the simplest explanation is probably the correct one: Swift gets on okay with her boyfriend's teammate and his girlfriend, despite their different political leanings. That used to be quite normal. Perhaps Swift would like it to be normal again. On the right, the early response to the endorsement demonstrates once again that if Swift has a superpower -- apart from writing catchy hooks about heartbreak -- it is making her critics reveal themselves as oddballs. Within hours of her Instagram endorsement, Elon Musk had taken to X to offer his thoughts: "Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life." Exactly why Swift would want one of Musk's dozen children is anyone's guess. Oh, wait -- I'm hearing in my earpiece that Musk was offering Swift his semen. See what I mean? Musk could have just disagreed with her, but instead he got creepy in a public forum. Another one for the "weird" file. Obviously, Trump himself will be disappointed in Swift's backing of Harris: After she endorsed Joe Biden in 2020, Trump joked that he liked her music "about 25 per cent less now." According to a recent book about his old show, The Apprentice, he has described Swift as "unusually beautiful" and asked an interviewer: "She is liberal, or is that just an act?" He seems genuinely confused that someone could start out in country music and not vote Republican. If the former president is upset, he has only himself to blame. Swift's statement refers to "the dangers of spreading misinformation" and her fears about the misuse of artificial intelligence. She mentions Trump's decision to post fake AI images on Truth Social of "Swifties for Trump,"a parade of eerily similar blond women holding signs supporting him. Trump's caption said, "I accept!" -- which might read as a joke if his entire campaign strategy did not involve blurring the lines between fact and fiction. Witness how both Trump and Vance embraced a fake news story about Haitians eating cats, which Vance tried to suggest was true in spirit, because immigration is a problem, even if not, you know, actually true in the sense that it happened. "Don't let the crybabies in the media dissuade you, fellow patriots. Keep the cat memes flowing," Vance declared on X. Swift took a rather different approach. "The simplest way to combat misinformation," she wrote, "is with the truth." Read: You think you're so heterodox The endorsement inevitably made me think of the pivotal scene in Netflix's Miss Americana, an authorized documentary about Swift, which shows her father, Scott, warning her in 2018 not to endorse a Democratic candidate for the Senate in Tennessee. Swift had spoken about how she was encouraged to stay out of politics as a country artist, particularly after fans and the music industry punished the Dixie Chicks (now just the Chicks) for criticizing George W. Bush and the Iraq war. In the scene, Scott Swift voices concerns about her personal safety, because she has already had stalkers, and he also edges toward Michael Jordan's famous formulation that "Republicans buy sneakers too." But she goes ahead anyway. Today, the stakes are even higher. Swift now sits atop one of the biggest brands in the American entertainment industry -- and through her boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the NFL's Chiefs, she has strong links to another one. This endorsement carries professional and personal risks. What is so striking about her statement, though, is not that a 34-year-old childless woman would support the Democrats -- in demographic terms, that makes perfect sense. What is most interesting is her tone. Kamala Harris has largely ditched Biden's strategy of warning about Trump's threat to democracy, in favor of running an old-school campaign about values and competence. In a similar vein, Taylor Swift has provided an understated condemnation of the Republican platform and a measured endorsement of the Democrats. Plus, of course, that one precision-targeted jab on behalf of childless cat ladies everywhere.

Taylor Swift's Kamala Harris Endorsement Wasn't As Perfect As Everyone Seems to Think. Does It Matter?

This election season, Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris managed to simultaneously be both the most inevitable thing in the world and a huge nagging question. Swift has publicly supported Democrats for six years now, so her embrace of Harris was always less a matter of if but when, and yet it became the subject of endless chatter all the same. On Tuesday night, we finally got our resolution: Swift officially endorsed Harris right after Harris' first debate with Donald Trump, via a post on her Instagram account. Sharing a photo of herself with one of her cats from last year's Time Person of the Year photo shoot, Swift wrote a lengthy caption explaining her decision. She'd watched the debate and done her research, she said, and she'd also been troubled by former President Donald Trump recently sharing some A.I. images suggesting she was supporting him, so she decided she ought to share her true voting plans. Explaining why she is voting for Harris, 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." She also praised vice presidential candidate Tim Walz for his record of "standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body." She encouraged her followers to do their own research, register to vote, and vote early, before signing the post, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady," a pointed reference to Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance's anti-cat lady rhetoric. Though the endorsement was expected, its timing and particulars are worth considering. It arrives days after Swift began facing scrutiny for her friendship with Brittany Mahomes, who is the wife of a teammate of Swift's boyfriend and also a possible Trump supporter. Swift smartly sidestepped mentioning any drama surrounding Mahomes in her caption, which I think was purposeful: She doesn't plan to apologize for associating with people her fans may not 100 percent approve of. In all likelihood, this announcement has been planned for a while. That it happens to coincide with the Mahomes of it all, and that it shut down some of the related criticism, is just a happy accident. Similarly, it's funny, as someone who has been monitoring all of this closely, to read Swift write, "Recently I was made aware ..." regarding the Trump/A.I. stuff -- Taylor, that was weeks ago! But it underscores that this is a big-picture decision, not hastily made. Some longtime Swift observers, such as Variety's Chris Willman, expected the singer to wait until October, as she has with previous endorsements, in order to maximize her impact. Swift and her publicist, Tree Paine, are known for being strategic about these things, and it also seems likely they coordinated with the Harris campaign: How else could it be explained that the campaign website was ready to go with its own line of friendship bracelets right after Swift's announcement went up? (The campaign claims that it had no heads-up and the bracelets came together in just 20 minutes.) Perhaps the idea was that endorsing Harris right after the debate would add to her momentum, further boosting what already felt like a winning night? If so, I wonder if there was a contingency plan for if the debate had gone less smoothly for Harris. Swift also, one imagines, wants to be mindful about not overshadowing the campaign, and endorsing her on a night that already felt like it was all about her feels like a solid way of accomplishing this. Still, I saw a few people praise Swift's perfect timing, and I couldn't help feeling a little skeptical about that: Couldn't waiting until after the debate also be read as a little wimpy and self-protecting? Was it really so much more perfect than any number of other moments? We all know Swift likes to play up the "Mastermind" thing, but her endorsing Harris was bound to be a slam dunk almost any way she did it. (Well, a slam dunk with those inclined to vote for Democrats, anyway -- Trump was asked about Swift's endorsement on Fox & Friends this morning, and unsurprisingly wasn't impressed. He acted like he didn't care, and mentioned that he was more a fan of Brittany Mahomes than Taylor Swift. A fan of ... what about her, exactly?) As inevitable as it felt to many of us that Swift would eventually endorse Harris, it's striking how much effort she put into sounding like nothing about this was guaranteed: She emphasizes that she did her research and voters should too, and she gives the impression that it took Trump's A.I. shenanigans to convince her it was important to speak up -- as if she hasn't regularly shared how she was voting in the past. It feels like Swift is trying hard to strike a tone that won't alienate or rub any fans the wrong way, or hurt the campaign more than it could help. Will it work? I've written in the past, as have many, about the murky value of celebrity endorsements, but her fans and critics seems satisfied for the most part, and those friendship bracelets have already sold out. So there we have it -- I trust that this resolves the discourse around Taylor Swift and politics and we'll never have to discuss them again.

This Election Actually Is About Taylor Swift

The singer is a perfect bogeywoman for almost everything the GOP is targeting in 2024. Taylor Swift has been an outspoken Democrat for some time now. After publicly regretting that she'd not campaigned against Donald Trump in 2016, she endorsed liberal candidates in Tennessee in 2018 and baked Biden-themed cookies in 2020. In some ways, her endorsement of Kamala Harris, posted to Instagram after last night's presidential debate, is no surprise. But in 2024, she's more than just another entertainer voting blue. She is the celebrity who best encapsulates the tensions that this particular election seems to be coming down to: the reality of, and backlash to, feminine power and independence in America. The effects of endorsements are never simple. Famous people really can drive donations and enthusiasm; in 2018, Swift spurred a record surge in new-voter registrations by posting a link to Vote.org. But celebrities can also anger and annoy people -- meaning an endorsement from a controversial entertainer, one disliked by a crucial voter demographic, may be worse than no endorsement at all. An NBC poll from last November found that only 16 percent of voters have a negative view of Swift. Since then, however, many Republicans have made a concerted effort to raise that number. One Trump surrogate told Rolling Stone about waging a "holy war" against Swift, which seems to be an effort to portray one of the most famous people on Earth as a product of elite conspiracy against malekind. Part of the way that conservatives have demonized Swift is familiar: Right-leaning figures such as Fox's Jesse Watters and the presidential-primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have suggested that her fame is astroturf, a "psyop" to seed liberal ideas. Feverish as that idea may sound, it plays into a classic tactic of treating pop culture as a propaganda effort by "Hollyweird" (rather than the cumulative efforts of artists and corporations pandering to authentic public sentiment). Such attacks seek to invalidate the political relevance of basically all entertainers, offering cover to Trump supporters who like to hum along to "You Belong With Me." Another attack line was nastier, and more calibrated to now. One manosphere podcaster commented on Swift's Person of the Year Time cover by saying, "It's shameful and sad that a hyper-promiscuous, childless woman, aging and alone with a cat, has become the heroine of a feminist age." Another, Charlie Kirk, asked his fellow podcasters whether Swift had any eggs left. Such rhetoric might once have seemed the provenance of a chauvinistic fringe, yet in 2024, the Republicans chose a vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, who has openly mocked "childless cat ladies." The GOP clearly hopes to exploit the growing gap between the political leanings of men and women. So while Democrats count on pop stars -- who pack stadiums with straight women, their boyfriends, queer folks -- Republicans focus on video-gamer streamers and podcasters who hawk testosterone-boosting supplements. Swift is a perfect bogeywoman in that effort. Her cats appear in her music videos, her lyrics, and, indeed, her Time cover shoot (which generated the photo she posted with her endorsement message yesterday). More important, her music is about the state of being female, unmarried, and childless. Over the years, her songs have portrayed her as a bright-eyed romantic searching for The One but continually getting disappointed by men -- shifty playboys or taciturn sad sacks -- who don't meet her standards. Sometimes she's defiant about not buying into "the 1950s shit they want from me," as she sang in 2022. But on this year's track "The Prophecy," she sounds fearful, heartbroken about the idea that she might end up conforming to the trope of the spinster. Quite clearly, this anxious push-and-pull -- between what she wants, what she gets, and society's judgment -- is humanizing and relatable to her millions of listeners. Read: The story that's holding Taylor Swift Back Trump himself has baited her from another angle. In comments published in a 2024 book about The Apprentice, he wrote off Swift's political views but offered this unsolicited compliment: "I think she's very beautiful, actually -- unusually beautiful!" Later, he reposted AI-generated images that appeared to show Swift endorsing Trump. These actions may seem like random nonsense, but they also, with almost uncanny precision, insulted some of Swift's publicly held ideals of self-determination and dignity. In an industry that has so often reduced women to their appearance, Swift has long made a point to assert herself as a songwriter, thinker, and businessperson. In 2017, she won a lawsuit against a radio personality who had grabbed her without her consent; she asked for only $1 in damages, thereby emphasizing her verdict's symbolic implications. Earlier this year, when pornographic deepfakes of her circulated, someone in Swift's camp told the Daily Mail that the images were "abusive, offensive, exploitative," and her fans worked to bury the images. Though many states have criminalized the leaking of nude photos, the contretemps suggested that AI, futuristic as it seems, could be a regressive force. Big Tech, it seemed, was playing a role in conservative efforts to roll back women's rights, including control of one's own image. (On cue, Elon Musk posted a dirty joke about Swift's endorsement last night.) All of this context can be seen in Swift's statement cheering Harris's campaign. She mentioned Trump's posting of AI images -- invoking "the dangers of spreading misinformation" -- and she signed off as "Childless Cat Lady." She praised Harris as a "steady-handed, gifted leader" and Tim Walz for supporting "LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body." But for the most part, as my colleague Helen Lewis noted, her endorsement message was sober and understated. It mostly just urged fans to do their own research and register to vote. The neutral tone cut against caricatures of liberals as ever-triggered and hysterical. Perhaps it was also designed to throw cooling water on the gender wars. Swift, after all, is not known for going easy on her enemies. She sings about "dressing for revenge," and she's in the process of rerecording her albums in order to settle a score with her nemeses in the record industry. As the right has antagonized Swift over the past year, I've imagined that she might bring some fury to the race. But Swift isn't fully taking the bait, so far at least. She's feeding into the Harris campaign's effort to project an air of upbeat calm, and in doing so sending a message: Swift's version of womanhood is status quo, normal, unremarkable. Getting worked up about someone for being successful, having opinions, and having cats is, however, weird.

Stephen A. Smith: Taylor Swift's Harris endorsement matters

"It matters to tens if not hundreds of millions of kids out there who are of voting age," Smith said Wednesday night on NewsNation's "CUOMO." Smith, who has attended Swift's concerts with his daughters, said witnessing the singer's following was "the closest thing" he's ever seen to Michael Jackson's following. "So when she comes out the night of the debate, as a young woman supporting Harris," Smith said, "it's probably an incredibly profound thing to have happened. The Swifties, they're gonna gravitate to what she wants to some degree." Minutes after the end of the first debate between former President Trump and Harris, Swift endorsed the Democratic candidate in a long Instagram post. "Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight," Swift wrote. "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." The endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, a campaign official confirmed to NewsNation. Harris exited a watch party with second gentleman Doug Emhoff to a Swift song. The singer said she needed "to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter" after AI-generated photos of her endorsing Trump's presidential run were posted to his site. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," Swift, one of the music industry's biggest stars, wrote. "The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth." Just before the Democratic National Convention kicked off, Trump reposted an image of Swift in an Uncle Sam outfit and accepted her endorsement for his campaign, which she had never given. Swift, who remains on her world tour, made no endorsements until Tuesday night. Given her influence and millions of fans, Swift has often become a trending political topic during election years. Swift has a dedicated following, especially among young women, a key demographic in the November election. "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 wrote on Instagram. She included a picture of herself holding a cat and signed the message "Childless Cat Lady," a reference to comments made by Sen. JD Vance, Trump's running mate. In 2020, she supported President Joe Biden, writing a month before the election that she was going to be cheering for then-vice presidential nominee Harris, this year's Democratic nominee, in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence. She also was openly critical of Trump ahead of the 2020 election, saying he had stoked "the fires of white supremacy and racism."