Taylor Swift posed with a cat to support Kamala Harris, while Donald Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated image of himself with cats after his running mate JD Vance spread a conspiracy theory that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets.
Source: @taylorswift Instagram (L) | @realDonaldTrump, Truth Social
Pop superstar Taylor Swift endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on Tuesday night, just minutes after the Democratic candidate ended a heated debate with Donald Trump.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a fighter to represent them,” Swift said in a statement on her Instagram account, which has more than 280 million followers.
“I think she is a calm, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country when we are led by calm, not chaos,” Swift wrote under a photo of her holding a cat.
“I was so encouraged and impressed by her choice of her running mate @timwalz, who has been an advocate for LGBTQ rights, IVF, and women’s rights to their own bodies for decades,” Harris said, referring to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Swift signed the post with her full name and as “Childless Cat Lady,” a clear dig at Trump’s Republican running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.
Since his nomination in July, Vance has come under criticism for comments he made in 2021 in which he called several key Democrats, including Harris, pathetic “childless cat ladies” who wanted to “make the rest of the country miserable, too,” and anti-family and anti-child.
Swift wrote that she was recently “made aware that a message was posted on his website falsely endorsing ‘I’ for Donald Trump’s candidacy for president.”
“It really revived my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” she wrote. “It made me realize that as a voter, I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election. The easiest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”
Two representatives from Harris’ campaign told NBC News that the timing of Swift’s endorsement came as a surprise to the campaign.
But the singer had supported President Joe Biden and his then-vice candidate Harris in the 2020 election.
When asked by reporters on Tuesday about Swift’s support for Harris, Trump said, “I have no idea.”
“I have done my research and made my choice,” Swift wrote.
“It’s up to you to do your research and the decision is yours. I want to say especially to first-time voters: remember that you must be registered to vote!” she wrote.
“I also think it’s much easier to vote early. In my story, I link where you can register and where you can find dates and information about early voting.”
