Taylor Swift broke her political silence, stating she will vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming Presidential Election.
In an Instagram post shared shortly after the US Presidential candidate debate between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday, September 10, the singer wrote: “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Throughout the US Presidential candidate debate, which was hosted by ABC News in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kamala Harris managed to maintain her composure while Donald Trump made several incoherent and inaccurate claims, including that some US states allow post-birth abortions and immigrants are eating people’s cats and dogs.
The former president also stated: “In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs! The people that came in. They’re eating the cats!” referencing a far-right conspiracy theory about immigrants in Ohio. These false statements were fact-checked and corrected by moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis during the debate, while Trump insisted that he heard about immigrants eating pets “on television”.
In her Instagram post, Swift called Harris: “a steady-handed, gifted leader” and praised Tim Walz’s support for LGBTQ+ rights, saying: “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
Swift posted her statement, which was signed ‘Childless Cat Lady’, alongside a photo of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, referencing Trump’s running mate JD Vance’s complaint that the US is being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies” who are “miserable at their own lives and the choices”.
View this post on Instagram
Swift added: “I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
The artist also urged first-time voters to vote and promised to share voter registration information. She also addressed the use of AI-generated images of her sharing by Trump, which suggested her endorsement for the former president.
Many fans have been disappointed by Swift’s lack of political action up until this point and are calling Swift’s endorsement a ‘bare minimum effort’.
For most of her career, the signer refrained from making political statements, but in 2018, she supported Democrat Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, who was running against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn during a midterm election. Swift also publicly endorsed President Joe Biden during the last US Presidential Election.
Even though she hadn’t made an official statement about this Election until now, Swift’s fans have been mobilising on social media by creating a “Swifties for Kamala” community following Biden’s exit from the race. The group raised over $122K during its kickoff meeting which included a speech by Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Guess who’s old enough to vote now 🫶 https://t.co/3Ssl5RAHL4
— Swifties For Kamala (@Swifties4Kamala) August 29, 2024
In her 2020 Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Taylor is seen holding back tears as she regrets not speaking out against Trump in the past, sharing: “I can’t change that,” adding: “I need to be on the right side of history.”
A growing number of fans are calling on the singer to follow through with her promise to be on the right side of history and break her silence on Palestine.
The #SwiftiesForPalestine movement has been gaining traction on social media platforms, with a large portion of her fanbase urging Swift to use her platform to speak out against the human rights abuses in Gaza. As arguably the most famous person in the US, her influence would mean a lot, but she has yet to make a statement.
I want to see everyone using #SwiftiesForPalestine today. @taylorswift13 we are calling for you to speak up NOW. to donate to Palestinian families fleeing the bombing in Gaza NOW. to spread awareness about the genocide in Rafah NOW pic.twitter.com/ENBIVTk6rb
— 𝒮𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒽 (𝒯𝒶𝓎𝓁𝑜𝓇’𝓈 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃) (@giftedswifted) May 29, 2024
US news network MSNBC captured Tim Walz reaction to hearing Taylor Swift’s endorsement in live time.
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