Pop superstar Taylor Swift has broken her silence on the current state of US politics, voicing support for US Vice President Kamala Harris over Donald Trump. In a long statement posted on her Instagram account, which has more than 283 million followers, Taylor endorsed Kamala following the presidential debate between the Democrat and former US President, Republican candidate Donald Trump on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning in India). Also read: Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris
Until now, Taylor had been conspicuously quiet on the subject, even as many of her fans began organising under the banner ‘Swifties for Kamala’ and raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Democratic hopeful. But in her new post, the 34-year-old singer said that discovering AI-generated images of her falsely endorsing Donald Trump ‘conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation’, which inspired her to speak up.
Taylor signed the post with her full name and as ‘childless cat lady’, a clear shot at Donald’s Republican ticket running mate, JD Vance.
Ahead, the key takeaways from Taylor’s statement that she issued alongside a photo of her holding a cat; it was a 2023 shot she took for Time Magazine‘s Person of the Year photoshoot featuring one of her cats.
Dig at Donald Trump
In August 2024, Donald Trump shared a slew of AI-generated pictures that falsely depicted Taylor Swift and her fans endorsing his campaign for president. Reacting to it, she wrote in her new post, “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. 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.”
On Kamala Harris-Donald Trump debate
Before slamming Donald for invoking her name in vain, Taylor also asked people to watch the presidential debate as they prepared to cast their vote, “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. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”
Why she is voting for Kamala Harris
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris discussed abortion during the debate, with Kamala claiming he is getting a National Abortion ban plan. Back in 2022, Taylor had condemned the end of US abortion rights, and this is one the issues she supports Kamala on. She wrote, “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. 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.”
Shoutout to Tim Walz
Praising Tim Walz, who has a long history of supporting LGBTQ rights, pro-LGBTQ Taylor further wrote, “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.” Tim, Minnesota governor and the Democratic nominee for vice president, is a former public school teacher.
Message to US voters
Taylor urged her US fans to register and cast their vote in the upcoming elections, writing, “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. 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.”
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