When the most famous woman in the world speaks, ears prick up across the globe to listen.
So there’s no question about the fact Taylor Swift‘s long-awaited endorsement of Kamala Harris this week would have been very much welcomed by the United States Vice President’s team – and dreaded by former President Donald Trump’s campaign.
And while Swift’s lengthy Instagram message – shared with the sign off ‘Childless Cat Lady’ in a jab at Trump’s running mate JD Vance – was something that came after backlash over the fact she was seen publicly embracing suspected Trump supporter Brittany Mahomes, if this was 2016, it wouldn’t have come at all.
Watch the video above.
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Eight years ago, when Trump was running for office for the first time, Swift – who was then around 27 years old, and in the thick of her infamous Kanye West/Kim Kardashian feud – stayed silent.
It was a move that saw even more criticism piled onto the then-embattled multi-Grammy-winning singer, who had taken a year away from public life following a recording of a phone call between Swift and West being leaked by Kardashian, which was later proven to have been doctored.
But her history of being apolitical dates further back, with Swift notably appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2010, advocating for the “shut up and sing” mantra when Letterman brings up politics in their sit-down.
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“Every time I didn’t speak up about politics as a young person, I was applauded for it,” Swift later told Variety in 2020 while doing press for her Netflix documentary Miss Americana.
“It was wild. I said, ‘I’m a 22-year-old girl, people don’t want to hear what I have to say about politics,’ and people would just be like, ‘Yeahhhhh!'”
Swift also opened up in the interview about the impact on her, as a budding and impressionable musician, when The Chicks were forced into exile after a comment against then-President George W. Bush by lead vocalist Natalie Maines.
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“I saw how one comment ended such a powerful reign, and it terrified me,” Swift reflected.
“These days, with social media, people can be so mad about something one day and then forget what they were mad about a couple weeks later. That’s fake outrage.
“But what happened to [The Chicks] was real outrage. I registered it, that you’re always one comment away from being done being able to make music.”
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Why Taylor Swift finally decided to use her voice for politics
Swift stayed silent during the 2016 United States Presidential election, which saw Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.
”The things that happen to you in your life are what develop your political opinions,” Swift told The Guardian in 2019.
“I was living in this [Barack] Obama eight-year paradise of, you go, you cast your vote, the person you vote for wins, everyone’s happy! This whole thing, the last three, four years, it completely blindsided a lot of us, me included.”
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In 2018 she broke rank with her previous silent strategy, endorsing two Democratic candidates in Tennessee ahead of the November 6 midterm election.
“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,” Swift, then 29, 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. I believe in the fight for [LGBTQIA+] rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG.”
“I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of colour is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin colour, gender or who they love,” she continued.
Swift ultimately spoke out against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn. The singer noted that as much as she had in the past and would “like to continue” voting for women in office, she could not support Blackburn as the politician’s ”voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies” her.
Two years later, when Miss Americana was released, Swift’s fans finally got to see what was happening behind the scenes when Swift, who had never spoken out about politics before, decided to change the narrative.
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“For 12 years, we’ve not got involved in politics or religion,” an unidentified man says to Swift, who is sitting on a couch next to her mother, Andrea Swift.
In the scene, the man suggests that should Swift publicly stand against then-President Trump and other Republican candidates, the audience for her tour could halve.
“I’ve read the entire [statement] and … right now, I’m terrified. I’m the guy that went out and bought armoured cars,” Swift’s father, Scott Swift, tells his daughter.
The Karma songstress, however, was not backing down, telling her father and unidentified team members that Blackburn had voted against LGBTQIA+-friendly bills and reauthorising the Violence Against Women Act.
“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,” Swift, now crying, tells her father and team.
Through tears, Swift says she regretted not speaking out against Trump in 2016 “but I can’t change that. … I need to be on the right side of history. … Dad, I need you to forgive me for doing it, because I’m doing it.”
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https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1266392274549776387https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1294685437362155522
She did it, and in 2020, she staunchly publicly advocated against a second Trump presidency and encouraged her fans to register to vote.
“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. @realdonaldtrump,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in May 2020, following inflammatory comments shared by Trump during the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd.
“Trump’s calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president. He’s chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans’ lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power,” she wrote on X in August 2020.
“Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Request a ballot early. Vote early,” she followed up with on X.
On September 11, ahead of her appearance at the MTV VMAs and after Trump and Harris faced off in their first presidential debate, Swift spoke up again.
It had been a long time coming – and a move much speculated about following a controversial appearance at the U.S. Open with Travis Kelce – but Swift finally endorsed Harris on Instagram, a far cry from 2016.
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Taylor Swift’s full message endorsing Kamala Harris
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. 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 [Harris] because she 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. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate [Walz], who has been standing up for LGBTQIA+ 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
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