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SHORTLY AFTER THE lights went down on the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump last night, American singer Taylor Swift publicly endorsed Harris for the presidency.
“I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift wrote on social media, pledging her vote to the current vice-president.
Celebrity endorsements are not uncommon in politics but Swift’s voice, which had stayed quiet about the election until now, carries particularly heavy weight given the scale of her support base, which has skyrocketed in recent years.
The endorsement after the debate also came at a time when Swift herself was facing scrutiny over her political position.
Swift’s endorsement of Harris came, as so many political dispatches do these days, in an Instagram post, which was uploaded in the immediate aftermath of the first Harris-Trump debate.
“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” Swift wrote, encouraging followers to research issues and the candidates’ stances on them. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country,” she continued.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift declared.
“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 commented on a recent statement made by Trump using artificial intelligence that had falsely suggested she had endorsed him.
“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site. It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift said.
“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.”
Swift concluded the post by saying that she did her research and made her choice accordingly and encouraged followers again to do their own research and to register to vote.
In a jab at Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance, who in 2021 called a number of Democrats, including Harris, a “bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives”, Swift signed off her post: “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”
What Taylor Swift does and does not speak about publicly is a frequent point of discussion among her fans (and critics).
Swift, who forged the beginnings of her career as a country pop singer in Tennessee, spent many years declining to comment on politics. She later attributed this approach partly to advice from label executives influenced by the Republican-led backlash faced by the Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks) in 2003 when they said they did not support George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq.
Despite joining the music scene in 2005 and gaining international fame with her second album in 2008, it wasn’t until a decade later in 2018 that Swift made her first public comments about her politics when she she endorsed Democratic candidates in Tennessee in the midterm elections.
A documentary titled ‘Miss Americana’ released two years later explored internal pushback she received from her team – including her father – at that time against her desire to speak out ahead of the midterms.
In 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden with just a month left to go until voting day.
Forbes subsequently called her the “most powerful voice in politics”.
I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden for president. So apt that it’s come out on the night of the VP debate. Gonna be watching and supporting @KamalaHarris by yelling at the tv a lot. And I also have custom cookies 🍪💪😘
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) October 7, 2020
📷 @inezandvinoodh pic.twitter.com/DByvIgKocr
However, in more recent years, she has returned to relative quiet on political matters.
Her silence over the last year on Gaza, for instance, has been criticised by many and her lack of public position on the 2024 US election up until now had been a source of consternation for fans, though some argue that her neutrality on certain political issues is a deliberate move for security reasons, particularly after the revelations about thwarted plans by terrorists to bomb her concert in Vienna.
Over the last week, Swift has faced ire from Democrats in her fanbase over her association with Brittany Mahomes, whom she embraced at the US Open Men’s Final on Sunday night.
Mahomes, the wife of Kansas City Chief quarterback Patrick Mahomes (a teammate of Travis Kelce, Swift’s partner), garnered attention this month when she liked an Instagram post from Trump about his policies and later liked pro-Trump comments on an Instagram post, including one that read “Trump-Vance 2024″.
Swift is believed to have developed a friendship with Mahomes through their mutual connection to the Kansas City team, often seen attending games together.
The two did not share a box at a recent game, leading to speculation that Swift was avoiding Mahomes over her political positions – but they were then seen hugging at the US Open at the weekend.
It made headlines in US media and prompted significant debate among Swift’s fans.
Some took the view that an individual’s friends are not necessarily an indicator of one’s own political views, while others felt that they could not support Swift showing public backing for someone who has apparently endorsed policies harmful to women and other minority groups.
So, Swift’s endorsement of Harris came at exactly the right time to try to put accusations that she is a ‘closeted Republican’ to bed.
It also comes a day before the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, where Swift is topping the nomination rankings with 12 nods. Two years ago, she used the VMAs to announce her tenth studio album “Midnights”. The timing of her endorsement of Harris has added to the buzz around the singer ahead of what is typically a fruitful night for her.
The singer’s endorsement of Harris last night was a major point of discussion in the hours after the debate.
Harris’s running mate Tim Walz learned about the endorsement live on air during an interview with MSNBC.
“I am incredibly grateful, first of all, to Taylor Swift. I say that as a fellow cat owner,” he quipped.
“That was eloquent and it was clear and that’s the type of courage we need in America to stand up,” Walz said.
Tim Walz learns about Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris in real time on MSNBC pic.twitter.com/KVsyH9v87d
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 11, 2024
Capitalising on the momentum, Harris’s official store is now selling friendship bracelets with letter beads spelling out Harris and Walz – a nod to the huge trend of Taylor Swift fans making friendship bracelets to wear and exchange at her concerts.
Harris also walked off-stage at a post-debate event to Swift’s song ‘The Man’, which is about women facing harsher scrutiny and barriers to success than men.
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