The singer is one of the most followed celebrities on Instagram with 284 million followers. Swift posted her endorsement just minutes after the debate finished.
“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 at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most,” she wrote. “As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”
She addressed the former controversy of Trump sharing AI-created photos of her and her supporters with the false claim she was backing him in the election.
"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."
She continued: “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.”
She finished the post by signing it as a “childless cat lady” – a reference to comments made by Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, about women without children – and uploaded a photo of her and her ragdoll cat, Benjamin Button.
Her support is a big win for the Democratic Party. In the previous election, she endorsed Joe Biden and Harris and played a key role in helping register more than 35,000 new voters, according to the non-profit organisation Vote.org.
Here's a look at the pop star's political influence over the years
Early to mid-2010s: Staying quiet to not isolate her fan base
At the beginning of her career, Swift, then 22, avoided speaking about politics despite enjoying huge success on the back of her album Red. "I try to keep myself as educated and informed as possible," she told Time in 2012 after being asked if she was following the election. "But I don't talk about politics because it might influence other people. And I don't think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for."
Swift faced more criticism as she remained apolitical during the 2016 election as well, choosing to stay quiet about who she was voting for.
October 2018: First political endorsements
She announced her political endorsements for the first time during the midterm elections, backing Tennessee democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. She also encouraged her fans who had turned 18 to register to vote.
“In the past, I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” she wrote on Instagram. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country."
August 2019: Criticism of Trump's presidency
During an interview with The Guardian, Swift mentioned Trump’s presidency and called it an “autocracy”. “We’re a democracy – at least, we’re supposed to be – where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate,” she said.
She also went on to explain that she stayed silent during the previous election because she was going through a tough time in 2016. Her mother was sick and she was in a very public feud with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
She later confirmed that she is “obviously pro-choice” and that she would have endorsed Hillary Clinton for president if she had spoken up.
January 2020: Song inspired by 2018 midterm
During her Netflix documentary Miss Americana, Swift comments about Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn. She said: “I can’t see another commercial [with] her disguising these policies behind the words 'Tennessee Christian values.’ I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for."
She then released the anthem Only the Young, which features the lyrics: "Don't say you're too tired to fight / It's just a matter of time (can run) / Up there's the finish line/ So run and run and run."
“I wrote it after the [2018] midterm elections, when there were so many young people who rallied for their candidate, whether it was a senator or congressman or congresswoman," she told Variety. "I was really upset about Tennessee going the way that it did, obviously. And so I just wanted to write a song about it."
May 2020: She responds to Trump’s George Floyd tweet
Protesters and police face each other during a rally for George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 26, 2020. AP
After the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, riots erupted around the US as a response to police brutality and systematic racism.
Trump, then president, tweeted: “These thugs are dishonouring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to [Minnesota] governor Tim Walz and told him that the military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
However, Swift quickly responded by reminding the president of his role in what was happening. “After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November,” she wrote, tagging Trump in the post.
October 2020: Biden backing and letting music be used in political advert
After becoming more politically outspoken, the star revealed she was endorsing Biden for president in the 2020 election. "Everyone deserves a government that takes global health risks seriously and puts the lives of its people first," she told V Magazine. "The only way we can begin to make things better is to choose leaders who are willing to face these issues and find ways to work through them.
“I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election. Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs.”
She also announced her support for Biden/Harris by baking cookies with their campaign logo on it. Later in the month, congressman Eric Swalwell released a two-minute political advert urging young people to vote using Only the Young with Swift's permission.
November 2022: Swift reiterates importance of midterms
She made a passionate plea to her Instagram followers about the midterm elections' importance and cited all the issues voters have at stake.
“Remember to vote today! It’s election day in the United States. This year, more than any year in modern history, the midterm elections will affect our access to fundamental rights, basic reproductive healthcare, and our ability to make our government work for us,” she wrote.
She added: “Your vote is your voice, which is why it’s so important that you use it. If you haven’t voted early, make a plan to vote before the polls close! See who’s on your ballot and find your polling place at Vote.org.”
September 2023: She helps more people register to vote
On National Voter Registration Day, Swift took to Instagram to ask her fans to register to vote. Vote.org’s communications director Nick Morrow revealed non-profit organisation had 35,000 new registrations on the day. “Our site was averaging 13,000 users every 30 minutes,” he tweeted.
Vote.org chief executive Andrea Hailey added: “During the day on Tuesday we saw a 1,226 per cent jump in participation the hour after Taylor Swift posted.”
March 2024: Swift urges fans to vote in presidential primaries
Although she didn’t specify which candidate she was backing, she again took to Instagram to remind fans that March 5 was the day for presidential primaries in her home state of Tennessee as well as in 16 other US states and territories.
“I wanted to remind you guys to vote the people who most represent you into power,” she continued. “If you haven’t already, make a plan to vote today.” She added: “Whether you’re in Tennessee or somewhere else in the US, check your polling places and times."
August 2024: Fake AI images from Donald Trump
Republican nominee Donald Trump falsely implied Taylor Swift is endorsing him for the 2024 presidential election.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump shared a group of images created using artificial intelligence. One shows Swift dressed up as Uncle Sam with the headline: “Taylor Wants You to Vote for Donald Trump,” while others depict a crowd of young women wearing matching “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts. One of the images, which was shared by an influencer aligned with Trump, was labelled as “satire".
Trump has since responded to the post when asked if he was worried he would get sued by the pop star. "I don’t know anything about them, other than somebody else generated them. I didn’t generate them… These were all made up by other people," he said during an interview with Fox Business Network’s Grady Trimble.
He added: "AI is always very dangerous in that way. It’s happening with me too. They’re making – having me speak. I speak perfectly, I mean, absolutely perfectly on AI, and I’m, like, endorsing other products and things. It’s a little bit dangerous out there."
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
How to increase your savings
Have a plan for your savings.
Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
