Taylor Swift's Political Influence: Endorsements and Impact on 2024 Presidential Election

Tim Walz 'grateful' for Taylor Swift's endorsement in 2024 election...

Tim Walz is "grateful" that Taylor Swift, the pop star phenomenon, has endorsed his and Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign ahead of the 2024 election. Just moments after Harris wrapped her first debate with Donald Trump in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the 14-time Grammy winner revealed she will be circling Harris' name on the ballot later this year. "I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift, 34, said on Instagram. The endorsement was welcome news to Walz, who praised the singer's "courage" to speak out. "I am incredibly grateful, first of all, to Taylor Swift. I say that also as a cat owner -- a fellow cat owner. That was eloquent and it was clear," Walz told MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. "And that's the type of courage we need in America, to stand up." "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 own personal lives kept personal, but are forced to go out there cause they nearly died because they can't get abortion services in a pregnancy," he went on. "And now you have somebody like Taylor Swift, coming out and making that very clear." The Minnesota Gov. and Democratic vice presidential nominee, 60, also gave a shoutout to the "Fortnight" singer's huge fanbase, adding, "This will be the opportunity, Swifties -- KamalaHarris.com -- get on over there, give us a hand, get things going." In 2020, Swift endorsed President Joe Biden and Harris' campaign. The "Cruel Summer" hitmaker -- who is fresh off the European leg of her Eras tour -- said she was "so heartened and impressed" by Harris, 59, selecting Walz as her running mate. Swift praised Walz for "standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades." The pop star said she has done her "research" for her pick and urged Swifties to do the same. Swift said she was inspired to come forward with her choice for 2024 after artificial intelligence was used to create a fraudulent image of her supporting the Republican candidate. "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 the truth." The singer signed off with a tongue-in-cheek one-liner, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." The lengthy caption was accompanied by a photo of her holding and her cat, Benjamin Button, which was taken during her TIME Person of the Year issue in December. The picture selection is believed to have been a subtle allusion to the backlash to a 2021 quote by Republican vice presidential candidate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, in which he referred to Democrat women as "childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives."

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris in post signed "Childless Cat Lady," advocating for "calm and not chaos"

Taylor Swift said she plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday in a post on Instagram shortly after the first presidential debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump. "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election," Swift said in the post, adding that she's voting for Harris "because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." Swift said Harris "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," noting that she was "so heartened and impressed by her selection" of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate due to his support for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and "a woman's right to her own body." The megastar said she had been made aware of recent artificial intelligence images that Trump had promoted that suggested she had endorsed the former president, adding that the the incident "brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter." Swift said she watched the debate on Tuesday night and urged her fans to research the candidates and issues, while closing her statement by explaining that she had done her research and "made my choice." "Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make," Swift said. Swift's possible endorsement has been the subject of intense debate in the political sphere. Earlier in Swift's career, she had stayed out of political endorsements, but in 2018, she issued her first endorsement, for Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in the Senate race against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn, who won the race. In the 2020 election, she backed President Biden. And at this year's Democratic National Convention, rumors swirled that Swift or Beyonce would make an appearance to back the new Democratic nominee. The popstar also appeared to troll the Republican ticket with a familiar moniker, signing "Childless Cat Lady" below her name.

Taylor Swift, 'childless cat lady,' says she's voting for Kamala Harris

By Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times The Tribune Content Agency Taylor Swift said on Tuesday night that she's voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the November election, saying Harris is a "steady-handed, gifted leader." In an Instagram post minutes after the debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump ended, Swift said she was voting for Harris because "she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them." "We can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," Swift wrote. She said she was "so heartened and impressed" that Harris chose Walz as her running mate, "who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades." Swift posted a photo from her Time "Person of the Year" shoot, which shows her youngest cat, Benjamin Button, draped across her shoulder. Swift signed the post "Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady," a nod to vice president candidate JD Vance's previous denigrating comments about the U.S. being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too." Last month on Truth Social, Trump's social media site, the former president shared images created using artificial intelligence that suggested that Swift had endorsed him and that her fans could help him win in November. One image showed a group of young women wearing "Swifties for Trump" shirts, and another showed Swift dressed up as Uncle Sam, with the headline: "Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump." "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," Swift wrote in her post. "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 images were shared by a social media influencer, and re-shared by Trump, who added: "I accept."

Taylor Swift backs Kamala Harris for president -- and signs her endorsement 'Childless Cat Lady'

The singer signed off her post by calling herself a "childless cat lady." Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president Tuesday night shortly after watching Harris and former President Donald Trump face off in their first and only presidential debate ahead of the election. On Instagram, Swift shared a photo of herself with her cat, Benjamin, from her Time magazine cover and called herself a "childless cat lady." "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 began. She wrote that she was recently 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 continued before announcing that she was endorsing Harris. "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," she continued. "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." Swift wrote that she has done her research and made her 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 continued, before signing off, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift." "Childless Cat Lady," she concluded. The phrase "childless cat lady" was used by Trump's running mate, Ohio senator JD Vance, when he said that the U.S. was run by "childless cat ladies" who "force their misery on the rest of the country." He added that they have no direct stake in the future of the country because they don't have kids. Since then, Harris' family, including her stepchildren, have defended her.

Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris, Calls Herself 'Childless Cat Lady'

The singer, 34, took to social media just moments after Harris and former President Donald Trump's presidential debate, which aired on Tuesday, September 10, confirming her stance. "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," Swift wrote via Instagram. "As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country." She continued, "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." Stars' Political Affiliations Swift then put her endorsement for Harris on the record. "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," 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. 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 further detailed how she'd "done her research" in order to make her choice, before urging first-time voters to register to vote. She then signed her post off, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady." Harris, 59, will compete against former President Trump, the Republican nominee, in the November 5 election. President Joe Biden initially campaigned for reelection, but amid concerns about his age, he dropped out of the race in July and endorsed his vice president as the Democratic nominee. Swift previously endorsed Biden, 81, in the 2020 presidential election, explaining to V Magazine that October, "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." Taylor Swift Through the Years Swift also threw her support behind Harris at the time. "So apt that it's come out on the night of the VP debate," she wrote of her endorsement via social media at the time. "Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot." After years of publicly avoiding politics, Swift spoke out for the first time in 2018 as the midterm elections approached. "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," she wrote via Instagram that October. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country." Meghan Markle and More Stars Voting on Election Day Through the Years In Swift's 2020 documentary, Miss Americana, fans saw a behind-the-scenes conversation she had with her team about breaking her silence on the topic. "I need to be on the right side of history," she told them before posting her statement. Swift reflected on the decision in a January 2020 interview with Variety. "Every time I didn't speak up about politics as a young person, I was applauded for it," she told the outlet. "It was wild. I said, 'I'm a 22-year-old girl - people don't want to hear what I have to say about politics.' And people would just be like, 'Yeahhhhh!'" She added: "This was a situation where, from a humanity perspective, and from what my moral compass was telling me I needed to do, I knew I was right, and I really didn't care about repercussions." Since wading into politics, Swift has repeatedly encouraged her fans to register to vote. In September 2023, her Instagram message on the matter resulted in more than 35,000 registrations and a 1,226 percent jump in participation on Vote.org's website.

Taylor Swift Officially Endorses Kamala Harris After Trump's Debate Meltdown

Swift signed the post as "Childless Cat Lady," a dig at Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance. Taylor Swift officially endorsed Kamala Harris for president Tuesday night in an Instagram post after months of speculation. The pop star said she was prompted to make her voting preference known after seeing an AI video where she endorsed the convicted felon and Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump. Her post came just minutes after Trump's debate with Vice President Kamala Harris where he showed how unhinged he was to the world. "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," Swift wrote. "As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country." Swift went on to explain how she'd been alarmed by seeing an AI video of herself saying something she didn't say on Instagram. "Recently I was made aware that AI of â€~me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site," the pop singer wrote. "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." Then Swift went on to officially endorse Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election," Swift explained. "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." Swift said that anyone who wanted to join her in voting needs to make sure they're registered. "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 wrote. "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." Swift finished by signing the post, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." That last part is obviously a dig at Trump's running mate JD Vance, who said childless cat ladies were ruining the country.

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris in post signed 'childless cat lady'

In an Instagram post published minutes after the US presidential debate ended, Swift said 'the simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth' Taylor Swift has endorsed Kamala Harris for president, posting on Instagram shortly after the US presidential debate to say, "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." Swift also addressed AI-generated images shared by Trump in late August that falsely depicted Taylor Swift and her fans endorsing his campaign for president. She said, "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." Swift said she had watched the debate and urged her fans to do their research "the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most". She signed off "Childless cat lady," a reference to comments made by Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance. Speaking in 2021 to the then Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Vance called senior Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.

Taylor Swift, 'Childless Cat Lady,' Endorses Kamala Harris

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. On Tuesday, Swift first addressed fake AI post of the star endorsing Trump. "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," explained the artist. "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," Swift continued. "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." The singer emphasized her decision, writing: "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." In 2020, Swift publicly supported Biden and Harris. "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," Swift told V Magazine at the time. "Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs." The singer even marked the occasion by baking blue Biden-Harris cookies.