After months of speculation, baseless rumors, and AI-generated images, global popstar, and American singer Taylor Swift finally made her stance clear on the ongoing American presidential elections.
The singer announced that she would be endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris just moments after the conclusion of the presidential debate between Kamala, the Democratic nominee, and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
The debate was held on Tuesday night, September 10, with Taylor making the announcement on her Instagram page a few hours later. The post, however, has been met with negative criticisms, as many claim that the announcement came late.
Speculation and rumors about who the singer supported had been circulating online for months now. The post came just 60 days before the election, and voting has already begun.
The discourse had been fueled by AI-generated images of the singer showing support for Donald Trump, even though she had previously supported the Biden-Harris ticket in the 2020 election and slammed Trump that same year for defunding the U.S. Postal Service and threatening police violence amid racial justice protests.
In the post, she firmly denounced the images of her that had been circulating and reaffirmed her stance, encouraging her voters to vote for who they believed in and to ‘do their research’ as she did and not to be swayed by popular media.
It should be noted that the criticisms towards the singer had swelled over the weekend after she was spotted hugging Brittany Mahomes, the wife of NFL player Patrick Mahomes, a teammate of Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce who is suspected to be a Trump supporter.
She wrote;
“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 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.
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.
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-headed, 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 @timwals, 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.
With love and hope,
Taylor Swift
Childless Cat Lady”
