Taylor Swift Endorses Kamala Harris After Presidential Debate

Pop superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday night, following the high-profile debate against former President Donald Trump. Swift described Harris as a "steady-handed, gifted leader" in her Instagram post, which reached over 283 million followers.

"I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election," Swift wrote. "I’m supporting @kamalaharris because she advocates for the rights and causes that need a strong champion. I believe she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and that our country can achieve much more under calm leadership rather than chaos."

Swift also expressed her admiration for Harris' choice of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate, highlighting Walz's long-standing advocacy for "LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and women's bodily autonomy."

"I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice," Swift added. "Your research is yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. To first-time voters: Remember, you need to be registered to vote! Voting early is often easier, and I’ll provide links in my story for registration and early voting information."

Swift, 34, concluded her post with the signature "Childless Cat Lady," a nod to comments made by Trump's running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, about women without children. The post included a photo of Swift with her cat, Benjamin Button, who has previously appeared on the cover of Time magazine with her.

Swift's endorsement came as a surprise to the Harris campaign, with officials viewing it as a "decisive victory" that underscores Harris' ability to garner support, according to NBC News sources.

Although the endorsement had been widely anticipated, given Swift's previous support for President Joe Biden and Harris in the 2020 election, it still garnered significant attention. Swift had previously allowed the Biden-Harris campaign to use her song “Only the Young” in their advertisements.

Once known for her reluctance to engage in American politics, Swift became more vocal following the release of her 2020 documentary "Miss Americana." The film highlighted her decision to publicly denounce Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and support her opponent, Phil Bredesen, though Blackburn ultimately won the race. Swift’s Instagram post urging voter registration significantly mobilized young voters, according to Vote.org.

A recent NBC News poll revealed that 40% of registered voters view Swift positively, while 16% have negative views. Among Democrats, 53% view her favorably, compared to 28% of Republicans.

In her Instagram post, Swift also addressed the spread of artificial intelligence-generated images falsely suggesting she endorsed the Trump-Vance ticket. She condemned these misleading images, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, and reaffirmed her commitment to transparency.

"Recently, I learned that AI-generated images falsely depicting me endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run were circulated on his site. This raised concerns about AI and the risks of misinformation," Swift said. "To combat misinformation, transparency is key."

Swifties for Kamala, an unofficial fan group, expressed their excitement over the endorsement. "We always believed Taylor would endorse at the right moment and are thrilled about the momentum she will bring to the campaign," said Irene Kim, co-founder of the group.

In response to Swift’s endorsement, Trump, who was in the "spin room" after the debate, seemed unaware and simply replied, "I have no idea."