Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for US president after debate

Taylor Swift has announced she will vote for Kamala Harris to become the next US president. The news comes after the first televised presidential debate between Democratic nominee Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. The singer is one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram with 284 million followers. Swift posted her endorsement just minutes after the debate finished. “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,” she wrote. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.” She addressed the former controversy of Trump sharing AI-created photos of her and her supporters with the false claim she was backing him in the election. "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." 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.” She finished the post by signing it as a “ childless cat lady ” – a reference to comments made by Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, about women without children – and uploaded a photo of her and her ragdoll cat, Benjamin Button. Her support is a big win for the Democratic Party. In the previous election, she endorsed Joe Biden and Harris and played a key role in helping register more than 35,000 new voters, according to the non-profit organisation Vote.org . Here's a look at the pop star's political influence over the years At the beginning of her career, Swift, then 22, avoided speaking about politics despite enjoying huge success on the back of her album Red . "I try to keep myself as educated and informed as possible," she told Time in 2012 after being asked if she was following the election. "But I don't talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don't think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for." Swift faced more criticism as she remained apolitical during the 2016 election as well, choosing to stay quiet about who she was voting for. She announced her political endorsements for the first time during the midterm elections, backing Tennessee democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. She also encouraged her fans who had turned 18 to register to vote. “In the past, I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” she wrote on Instagram. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country." During an interview with The Guardian , Swift mentioned Trump’s presidency and called it an “autocracy”. “We’re a democracy – at least, we’re supposed to be – where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate,” she said. She also went on to explain that she stayed silent during the previous election because she was going through a tough time in 2016. Her mother was sick and she was in a very public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West . She later confirmed that she is “obviously pro-choice” and that she would have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president if she had spoken up. During her Netflix documentary Miss Americana , Swift comments about Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn. She said: “I can’t see another commercial [with] her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values.’ I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for." She then released the anthem Only the Young , which features the lyrics: "Don't say you're too tired to fight / It's just a matter of time (can run) / Up there's the finish line/ So run and run and run." “I wrote it after the [2018] midterm elections, when there were so many young people who rallied for their candidate, whether it was a senator or congressman or congresswoman," she told Variety . "I was really upset about Tennessee going the way that it did, obviously. And so I just wanted to write a song about it." After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, riots erupted around the US as a response to police brutality and systematic racism. Trump, then president, tweeted: “These thugs are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to [Minnesota] governor Tim Walz and told him that the military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” However, Swift quickly responded by reminding the president of his role in what was happening. “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November,” she wrote, tagging Trump in the post. After becoming more politically outspoken, the star revealed she was endorsing Biden for president in the 2020 election. "Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first," she told V Magazine . "The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them. “I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs.” She also announced her support for Biden/Harris by baking cookies with their campaign logo on it. Later in the month, congressman Eric Swalwell released a two-minute political advert urging young people to vote using Only the Young with Swift's permission. She made a passionate plea to her Instagram followers about the midterm elections' importance and cited all the issues voters have at stake. “Remember to vote today! It’s election day in the United States. This year, more than any year in modern history, the midterm elections will affect our access to fundamental rights, basic reproductive healthcare, and our ability to make our government work for us,” she wrote. She added: “Your vote is your voice, which is why it’s so important that you use it. If you haven’t voted early, make a plan to vote before the polls close! See who’s on your ballot and find your polling place at Vote.org.” On National Voter Registration Day, Swift took to Instagram to ask her fans to register to vote. Vote.org’s communications director Nick Morrow revealed non-profit organisation had 35,000 new registrations on the day. “Our site was averaging 13,000 users every 30 minutes,” he tweeted. Vote.org chief executive Andrea Hailey added: “During the day on Tuesday we saw a 1,226 per cent jump in participation the hour after Taylor Swift posted.” Although she didn’t specify which candidate she was backing, she again took to Instagram to remind fans that March 5 was the day for presidential primaries in her home state of Tennessee as well as in 16 other US states and territories. “I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent you into power,” she continued. “If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.” She added: “Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times." Republican nominee Donald Trump falsely implied Taylor Swift is endorsing him for the 2024 presidential election. In a post on Truth Social , Trump shared a group of images created using artificial intelligence. One shows Swift dressed up as Uncle Sam with the headline: “Taylor Wants You to Vote for Donald Trump,” while others depict a crowd of young women wearing matching “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts. One of the images, which was shared by an influencer aligned with Trump, was labelled as “satire". Trump has since responded to the post when asked if he was worried he would get sued by the pop star. "I don’t know anything about them, other than somebody else generated them. I didn’t generate them… These were all made up by other people," he said during an interview with Fox Business Network’s Grady Trimble. He added: "AI is always very dangerous in that way. It’s happening with me too. They’re making – having me speak. I speak perfectly, I mean, absolutely perfectly on AI, and I’m, like, endorsing other products and things. It’s a little bit dangerous out there."

Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for US president after debate

From staying silent to backing Democratic nominees, how the pop superstar's political power has grown