Tuesday night’s presidential debate was critical in the 2024 presidential race. Supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump largely agree that the vice president had a better night. Following the debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris.
Harris is ‘a steady-handed, gifted leader’
Swift posted a lengthy message on Instagram, since shared by others across social media, announcing that she was voting for Harris. Swift urged her followers “to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most” and encouraged them to register to vote. She also addressed fake images generated by artificial intelligence of her appearing to endorse Trump, declaring that “the simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.” With that, Swift declared that she was voting for Harris, who “fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them” and declared Harris “a steady-handed, gifted leader.” Swift posted the note alongside a picture of her holding a cat and she signed the post “Taylor Swift Childless Cat Lady” in a clear reference to Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance’s repeated insults about childless women.
BREAKING: Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris after this debate, signed a “Childless Cat Lady” pic.twitter.com/oHMRaUlGjj
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) September 11, 2024
Swift’s growing political activism
Swift’s endorsement ends months of speculation about whether she would weigh in on the presidential race. The pop megastar has grown more political in recent years, supporting pro-Black causes such as the removal of Confederate monuments, urging her fans to register to vote and endorsing Biden in 2020. There were rumors that Swift would appear at this year’s Democratic National Convention, which ultimately didn’t happen. In recent days, people began to question Swift after she was photographed at a recent Kansas City game with Brittany Mahomes, an apparent Trump supporter.
Tuesday’s endorsement demonstrates where Swift’s political allegiance lies. The pop star previously got tens of thousands of fans to register to vote in a single day by urging them to do so. With less than two months to go before Election Day, we will see if her endorsement will significantly impact the race.