In a move of political consequence, pop superstar Taylor Swift publicly threw her support behind Kamala Harris’s candidacy for the presidency in 2024. Swift announced her support for Harris shortly after the senator wrapped up her first debate against former President Donald Trump. It is the second time Swift has publicly endorsed a political candidate. Swift spoke to the reasons she supported Harris. It all came down to three little words: truth and transparency matter this election cycle.
Swift’s Statement: Research, Transparency, and Choice
Encouraging Voters to Stay Informed
Swift introduced her Instagram post by informing and researching to vote. She told her followers to pay attention to the policies and positions of each candidate in this election, since they needed to make informed choices. Swift reinforced that a voter should know what each candidate is taking a stand on-be it something the populace is concerned about-so as to be fully aware of each candidate’s plan for the country.
Confronting Misinformation
Swift underlined in her post the misinformation and lies about herself, in particular concerning her political endorsement. Swift referred to those AI-generated pictures that surfaced of her supporting Trump, going viral across Trump’s Truth Social. Swift shared that AI and misinformation had caused, or could cause, too much harm; that was why she needed to tell the world exactly what happened. Swift is an advocate for voter transparency in the face of misinformation.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Endorsement
Why I Am Supporting Harris
Swift said she will vote for Kamala Harris and her vice presidential candidate, Tim Walz, come the 2024 presidential elections. She referred to Harris as a “steady-handed, gifted leader,” adding that the country deserved leadership characterized by calm, not chaos. Swift lauded Harris for fighting for things she is close to her heart, like women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and reproductive freedom.
Support for Tim Walz
In addition to endorsing Harris, Swift also shared her fondness for Tim Walz, the running mate of Harris. Walz is governor of Minnesota and has a good record on behalf of LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive health, including IVF and abortion services. Swift thanked him for long-standing work defending those rights and voiced her confidence in the Harris-Walz ticket leading the nation in a positive direction.
A Personal Touch: Closing off as the “Childless Cat Lady”
Swift’s Response to J.D. Vance’s Comment
She signed her post, in mock deference to her critics, as the “Childless Cat Lady.” The term referred to a 2021 comment from Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, who maligned childless women as being less valuable to society. Swift is a proud cat lady and used the term humorously to push back against the stereotype, owning it as part of her identity.
Tim Walz’s Response to Swift’s Endorsement
Thanks and an Appeal to Act
Since Swift made her endorsement public, Tim Walz has gone on MSNBC to express his thanks. Since his debate, in an interview with Rachel Maddow, Walz thanked Swift for her endorsement. He said that she articulated what was in the heart of many people and came across eloquent and clear. Walz stated that such an endorsement on the part of Swift shows the kind of bravery that is called for in America today.
Appeal to Swift’s Fans
Walz also made sure to ask Swift’s gigantic fanbase, the “Swifties,” to go to Harris’ website and donate to the cause. He explained how much it means to have Swift’s endorsement and the power her voice might hold in voter turnout.
Taylor Swift’s History of Political Activism
Support for Biden-Harris in 2020
This is far from the first instance that Taylor Swift has vocalized on her political preferences. She publicly supported Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 election. Her endorsement came during the vice-presidential debate between Harris and then-Vice President Mike Pence. Swift posted her support to Instagram, where she shared a photo of her cover for V Magazine’s Thought Leaders issue. At the time, she said she felt confident that Biden and Harris could take the reins and lead the country toward unity and justice.
Documenting Swift’s Political Awakening
Swift’s foray into political activism was captured in the 2019 Netflix documentary Miss Americana. The film traced her decision to speak more publicly about politics, after years of silence on public issues. In one pivotal scene, Swift tearfully advocates for the right to speak out during a meeting with her father and an all-male board. In the following years, she has utilized her platform to get more people to vote and to speak out on issues like racial inequality and women’s rights.
Increased Voter Turnout
Swift’s Voter Registration Campaign
Swift has for years been encouraging her following to vote in everything from national elections down to local ones. Leading up to the 2020 election, she loudly voiced her support for mail-in voting, pressing people to request their ballots as early as possible to circumvent any possible setbacks. Continuing her efforts into 2023, Swift was posting on National Voter Registration Day; that inspired 35,000 new registrations.
Call to Action for First-Time Voters
In the most recent of her posts in support of Harris, Swift called for a special action to be taken by first-time voters. She reminded them of the necessity to register to vote and told them to vote early to avoid hustle and bustle on election day. Swift gave resources in her Instagram story to help her followers find registration and early voting information to further her mission of increasing voter turnout.
Conclusion: Swift’s endorsement translates into political influence.
Taylor Swift’s public endorsement of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz underlines her rising importance in the political world. With Swift using her platform to mobilize millions of followers to vote, her commitment to research and transparency in politics, again, is evidence of her good faith toward responsible voting. The fact that Swift will be endorsing Harris this election could very well change results and voter turnout in the upcoming 2024 election, especially within her very strong fanbase.
