Taylor Swift has officially launched her Kamala Harris era.
Shortly after the Democratic nominee and former President Donald Trump finished their first, and likely only, presidential debate Tuesday evening, Swift, who is nearing the end of her "Eras Tour," released a lengthy Instagram post announcing her support for Harris — as well as a link to a voter registration website.
She included a photo of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed the message "Childless Cat Lady — a reference to 2021 comments made by JD Vance, Trump's running mate, about how women without children don't really have a stake in the country's future.
The endorsement isn't the first time Swift has waded into politics, but it ends months of speculation over whether she'd pick a side in this year's presidential tilt. Here's what to know:
Why did Swift pick Harris?
In her Instagram post, Swift said she would be voting for Harris because Harris "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 this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," she wrote.
Swift also said her endorsement of Harris was partially prompted by Trump's decision to post artificial intelligence-generated pictures suggesting she had endorsed him. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, and the text said "Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP."
Trump's posts "brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," Swift wrote.
In response, Trump told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that Swift is "a very liberal person" who "seems to always endorse a Democrat and she'll probably pay a price in the marketplace."
Did the Harris campaign know the endorsement was coming?
Swift did not coordinate her endorsement with the Harris campaign, according to two senior campaign officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign's thinking about Swift. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, appeared surprised by the news when presented with it during an interview with MSNBC.
However, although Harris' team says Swift's post wasn't coordinated, they were prepared for the eventuality and within minutes reposted Swift's Instagram message across the campaign's channels and released a Swift-themed Harris-Walz friendship bracelet on its store that quickly sold out.
Notably, Swift is originally from Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground that will be critical for either presidential candidate to their chances of winning the presidency. Yet it's unclear how much sway she might hold among its voters.
While she's popular nationwide, her popularity is especially strong among Democrats. An October 2023 Fox News poll found that 55% of voters overall, including 68% of Democrats, said they had a favorable view of Swift. Republicans were divided, with 43% having a favorable opinion and 45% an unfavorable one.
Swift could make history at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, where she could become the most-awarded musician. The event is known for encouraging young people to register to vote, and should Swift attend, she could reiterate her support for Harris.
