September 10, a high-stakes presidential debate took place to provide voters with critical information concerning the political race for the presidency between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Shortly after the debate aired, music icon Taylor Swift posted on Instagram, declaring her support for Harris and Tim Walz, encouraging voters to register promptly.
“I’m voting for [Harris] 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 the country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate [Walz], who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman’s right to her own body for decades,” Swift said.
Swift smartly signed her post “Childless Cat Lady,” referencing JD Vance’s comment to Fox News in 2021 concerning allegations the political Left had thrown at Vance. Both in humorous retaliation and effective adjournment of Vance’s words, Swift, by using herself as an example, proved that not bearing biological children does not measure success, power or decency.
“We’re effectively run in this country via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too. And it’s just a basic fact, you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” Vance said.
Swift previously remained silent on her stance concerning the 2024 presidential election. However, an image recently publicized by Trump seemed to change her mind. On X, former president Trump posted an AI-generated photo of Taylor Swift dressed as Uncle Sam with headlines encouraging US citizens to vote for Trump. After debunking the image as AI and watching the presidential debate unfold, Swift finally commented on the situation.
“Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site…. 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 said.
Swift’s post holds a massive amount of power, reaching a wide audience of 284 million followers and receiving over two million likes within half an hour. The influence of the pop-culture icon clearly immensely affects both the 2024 election results and the opinions of voters and non-voters alike.
“[Swift’s post] really encourages me and other members of her audience to do their research on who they’re voting for, so you don’t vote for a candidate that doesn’t align with what you believe in and what you think is right… [Swift] does hold a lot of influence over crowds with multiple political backgrounds and beliefs. I feel like [what she said] to her audience would inspire them to look a little deeper,” magnet junior Mary Washburn said.
With her endorsement of Kamala Harris, the world’s biggest music star announces three major points: Trump’s AI falsely claiming her as an endorser for him, support for Kamala Harris and her ideals and characteristics and a call for all viewers to do their research and register to vote. With millions of fans, commonly known as “Swifties,” information about voting and her advocacy for Harris circulates the media like never before, creating a ripple in the tide of the 2024 presidential race.
