World-renowned megastar Taylor Swift took to Instagram on September 11, 2024, to publicly endorse Democratic candidate Kamala Harris for the U.S. presidential election. The announcement came after Harris's first debate with Republican opponent Donald Trump. Notably, Swift's public endorsement included what seems to be a dig at Trump's running mate, JD Vance, who made controversial remarks about Democratic Party politicians being "a bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives."
In her post on Instagram, Taylor Swift announced,
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Taylor Swift claims Harris is a "steady-handed, gifted leader"
Taylor Swift penned that she would vote for Harris because she agreed with what she fights for and dubbed her a "warrior" who can help champion said causes. She also dubbed her a "steady-handed, gifted leader" who she believes will steer the nation towards peace and not chaos.
She expressed her approval of Tim Walz, Harris' running mate, as he is a long-time vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ and women's rights, adding,
“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!”
She signed off on the post with "With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady." The post is an image of Swift with her cat, Benjamin. The final comment seemed to be a shot at JD Vance, who referred to Democratic Party politicians as women without children.
Additionally, Taylor Swift addressed the viral image of her supporting Trumping, stating that the image was AI-generated. She said the post conjured up her "fears around AI," imploring her to be open and truthful about her "actual plans for this election as a voter."
JD Vance cops flak for controversial "childless cat ladies" comment
In 2021, Vance sat down for an interview with Fox News. He expressed his dismay at the idea of Democrats being in power and added that the country was being run 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."
He then named Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and AOC, claiming that the future of the Democratic Party lies in the hands of these "people without children."
“And how does it make any sense that we've turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it?"
However, in July 2024, he brushed the comments off as "sarcastic" during a Megyn Kelly podcast episode. He said he had nothing against cats and clarified that his remarks were not about ridiculing people without children. He opined that the Democratic party has turned "anti-family” and “anti-child.”
According to a Fox News poll that came out in October 2023, Swift is undeniably popular and more so among Democratic voters. The poll found that among overall voters, 53% had a positive view of Swift, of which 68% were Democrats. Republicans, on the other hand, stand torn between 43% who have a favorable opinion and 45% who don't.