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 ‘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’s decision to endorse Harris isn’t entirely out of left field, given the fact that she endorsed Joe Biden in 2020. But there was some question about whether she’d declare her official support of Harris and how she might do that. Swift similarly made her endorsement of Biden known through an Instagram post.
Swift was quick to point out to her fans that there are some hurdles that need to be overcome if you really want to make your voice heard on November 5. The pop star said that anyone who wanted to join her in voting needs to make sure they’re registered first.
“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.
The debate was an absolute disaster for Trump, as he found himself completely outmatched by Harris in just about every possible way. Harris was calm, cool, and collected but forceful in pushing back against Trump’s lies and obfuscations. Trump was visibly agitated, often shouting and frequently confusing basic facts. For example, Trump referred to the leader of the Taliban as “Abdul,” which isn’t even close to his real name, Hibatullah Akhundzada. And the Republican candidate also tried to talk about the governor of Virginia, but said West Virginia instead.
Trump rambled on and on, spewing lies about immigrants eating household pets in Ohio (that never happened) and even tried to deny things he’d said recently, like when he accidentally admitted that he lost the 2020 election. Trump insisted, “that was said sarcastically.” But ABC News moderator David Muir said it didn’t seem sarcastic to him.
Incredibly, even the far-right propaganda network Fox News seemed discouraged by Trump’s performance on Tuesday night.
Fox guest: Make no mistake, Trump had a bad night. We heard so many of his old grievances. This was Kamala Harris’ night pic.twitter.com/MTbL3aCD90
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 11, 2024
Meanwhile, Harris presented a clear and coherent vision for the future of the country, emphasizing that she was not going to take America back to the regressive policies of the Trump presidency.
“I am not Joe Biden. And I am certainly not Donald Trump. What I do offer is a new generation of leadership for our country,” Harris said in one of several good lines from the night.
The choice couldn’t be clearer. And the biggest musician in the world has made her choice known. Taylor Swift is voting for Kamala Harris. The only question left for November is whether the American people do the same.
