Taylor Swift, international pop star and self-proclaimed childless cat lady, has made her decision: This Election Day, she’ll be voting for Kamala Harris to be our next president.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she wrote in an Instagram post that went live minutes after the first debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump concluded. “I’m voting for [her] because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”
Swift, 34, added, “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.”
The endorsement of Harris, the Democratic nominee for the office and current Vice President, comes after years of largely skirting political discourse altogether (save a 2018 endorsement of Democratic midterm election candidates in Tennessee, and a tearful nod for current President Joe Biden in 2020). It also comes following a recent spate of internet backlash for palling around with former soccer player – and known Trump supporter – Brittany Mahomes at the U.S. Open.
And, it comes on the heels of the Trump campaign’s distribution of AI-generated images of Swift in which she appeared to be encouraging the Republican candidate. She addressed that in her Instagram post endorsing Harris, too – and not-so-subtly implied that it played a critical role in her decision to speak up about her voting plans.
“[The images] really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she said in her statement. “It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter.”
Swift also had kind words for Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, in her message of support for the Democratic ticket. “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of [Walz], who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Her endorsement of the duo could carry genuine weight – when Swift talks, hundreds of millions of fans are listening, and taking what she says to heart. She has, through both her concerts and her personal life, directly influenced everything from the economy to the success of the NFL. And her fanbase is comprised largely of younger white women between the ages of 18 and 40 – a group expected to play a pivotal role in this election’s outcome, and that’s increasingly distancing itself from Trump as reproductive rights move to center stage in political discourse.
Walz himself, who learned of the nod during a post-debate interview, expressed his happiness at having her vote. “We’re very, very proud to have her endorsement. The vice president obviously respects her a lot,” he said. “Taylor Swift speaks to a huge audience of people in this country – and frankly around the world – who find her story and songwriting resonant to them.”
Experts also noted the heft a Swift endorsement could carry. “Taylor Swift is not just a celebrity. She actually commands a humongous squad of, particularly young white women,” MSNBC host Joy Reid said. “One of the places that Democrats have … never been able to do well is among white voters. Even young white voters. Even young white women.”
Reid added that Swift’s representation of young womanhood through her public persona – women-centric, career-focused and unmarried in her 30s – is one that has come under attack recently, particularly by Trump running mate, Sen. JD Vance. And, it’s one that Swift is leaning into in response to the cutting comments. “It’s not a small endorsement – it’s a big deal,” Reid said.
Swift encouraged her fans to learn more about both Harris and Trump, so that they might make their own informed decisions, and urged them to ensure that they’re registered to vote later this year. But she also made clear that she, personally, won’t be swayed against Harris.
She stated firmly: “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice.”
