Taylor Swift officially endorses Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The artist made the announcement shortly after Harris finished her first debate with her opponent, former President Donald Trump.

“Like many of you, I watched tonight’s debate,” Swift, 34, began in an Instagram post alongside a photo of herself holding a cat. “If you haven’t already, now is a great time to educate yourself on the issues at hand and these candidates’ stances on the issues that matter most to you. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can find about their proposed policies and plans for this country.”

Swift then pointed to the fake AI images that falsely showed her supporting Trump, which he himself shared on Truth Social.

“It really revived my fears about AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift 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.”

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“I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election,” she continued. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a fighter to represent them. 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. I was so encouraged and impressed by her choice of her running mate @timwalz, who has been fighting for decades for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body.”

“I’ve done my research and made my choice. It’s all up to you to do your research and make the choice. I want to say to first-time voters in particular: remember you have to be registered to vote! I also find it much easier to vote early. In my story, I’ll post links to registration options and dates and information on early voting.”

Swift then signed the statement as a “childless cat lady,” a reference to comments made by Trump’s running mate JD Vance in 2021.

During live post-debate coverage on MSNBC, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, responded to Swift’s endorsement, telling moderator Rachel Maddow, “I’m incredibly grateful, especially to Taylor Swift. I say that as a cat owner, too — a cat owner like me.”

“That was eloquent and clear,” the 60-year-old politician continued. “And that’s the kind of courage we need in America to stand up.”

“We saw it with the Republicans who were at the DNC, we saw it with women who would like to keep their private lives private but are forced to come out because they almost died because they can’t get abortion services while pregnant,” Walz added. “And now we have someone like Taylor Swift coming out and making that very clear.”

He then gave a shout-out to Swift’s fan base, saying, “This is the opportunity, Swifties – KamalaHarris.com – come over, help us, get things rolling.”

Swift had already endorsed President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 election campaign, marking the first time she publicly supported a presidential candidate.

Swift announced her support at the time by releasing her cover for V Magazine‘s Thought Leaders issue on Instagram with the caption: “I spoke to @vmagazine about why I’m voting for Joe Biden for president.”

Her October 2020 post appeared on the same day as the vice presidential debate between Harris and Mike Pence. Swift wrote that she would be “watching and supporting @kamalaharris by screaming a lot on TV.”

The 2019 Netflix documentary Miss America detailed the singer-songwriter’s decision to come forward with her political views after keeping them secret for most of her career. At an all-male board meeting that included her father, Scott Swift, she tearfully pressed for permission to express her views explicitly.

Since the film, Swift has spoken out on a variety of political issues—most notably increasing voter turnout. She criticized then-President Trump for hindering mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election and urged people to “request a ballot early.”

An Instagram post she shared on National Voter Registration Day in 2023 resulted in an increase of 35,000 new voters. Earlier this year, the “You Need to Calm Down” singer also encouraged her fans in Nashville to vote in local and state elections.

“We have the opportunity to choose those who will represent us for the next four years,” the 12-time Grammy winner wrote in an Instagram story. “I voted today and I urge each and every one of you to do the same and make your voice heard.”