Taylor Swift is officially backing Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. The artist made the announcement moments after Harris wrapped her first debate with her opponent, former president Donald Trump.
“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” Swift, 34, began in an Instagram post, alongside a photo of herself holding a cat. “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.”
Swift then referenced the fake A.I. images that falsely showed her endorsing Trump, who shared them himself on Truth Social.
“It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift wrote. “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.”
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty; SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” she continued. “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.”
“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.”
Swift then signed the statement as a “Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to the 2021 comments made by Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance.
While appearing live on MSNBC during the network’s post-debate coverage, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, reacted to Swift’s endorsement, telling host Rachel Maddow, “I am incredibly grateful, first of all, to Taylor Swift. I say that also as a cat owner — a fellow cat owner.”
“That was eloquent and it was clear,” the politician, 60, continued. “And that’s the type of courage we need in America, to stand up.”
“We’ve seen it out of those Republicans who were at the DNC, we’ve seen it out of women who would like to have their own personal lives kept personal, but are forced to go out there cause they nearly died because they can’t get abortion services in a pregnancy,” Walz added. “And now you have somebody like Taylor Swift, coming out and making that very clear.”
He then gave a shoutout to Swift’s fanbase, stating, “This will be the opportunity, Swifties — KamalaHarris.com — get on over there, give us a hand, get things going.”
Swift previously threw her support behind President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 election season, marking her first public endorsement of a presidential candidate.
Swift announced her support back then by posting her cover for V Magazine’s Thought Leaders issue on Instagram with the caption, “I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden for president.”
Her October 2020 post landed on the same day as the VP debate between Harris and Mike Pence. Swift wrote that she was “gonna be watching and supporting @kamalaharris by yelling at the tv a lot.”
The 2019 Netflix documentary Miss Americana depicted the singer-songwriter’s decision to come forward about her political views after keeping them private for most of her career. To an all-male board meeting that included her father, Scott Swift, she tearfully pushed for approval to explicitly express her stances.
Since the film, Swift has spoken out about various political issues — particularly targeted at increasing voter turnout. She slammed then-President Trump for obstructing mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election, urging people to “request a ballot early.”
A 2023 Instagram post that she made on National Voter Registration Day led to a surge producing 35,000 new voters. Earlier that year, the “You Need to Calm Down” singer also encouraged her Nashville fans to participate in local and state elections.
“We have the opportunity to choose those who will represent us for the next four years,” the 12-time Grammy winner wrote in an Instagram story. “I voted today and I urge each and every one of you to do the same and make your voice heard.”
