Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris for president after the Democratic nominee faced Donald Trump in a fiery debate that focused on abortion rights and immigration.
The US pop megastar said she had been prompted to publicly declare her political allegiances after being made aware of a slew of AI-generated images that falsely depicted her and her fans endorsing Trump’s campaign for president.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, the singer wrote: “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 will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election.”
Swift described Harris as a "gifted leader". She also complimented Harris’ running mate Walz by saying the Minnesota Governor had been "been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades".
"I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos," she added.
The post was signed off "Childless Cat Lady" and accompanied by a photo of her with a cat - a reference to remarks made by Trump's vice-presidential candidate JD Vance.
In a resurfaced clip from 2021, the Ohio Republican senator described several prominent Democrats - including Harris - as "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives".
This is the first time Swift has publicly declared who she will vote for in the 2024 US presidential election.
But she was a prominent critic of Trump during his time in office and his handling of the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer.
In 2020 she announced her support for President Joe Biden and Harris as his vice-president a month before the election.
Swift is not the only high profile celebrity backing Harris.
Singers John Legend and Olivia Rodrigo, actor George Clooney and director Spike Lee have also supported the candidate.
While former wrestler Hulk Hogan and billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk have endorsed Trump.
Swift’s endorsement came after a 90-minute presidential debate, during which the two candidates clashed over immigration, abortion and foreign policy.
Women’s healthcare has been a key dividing line between the two campaigns and something the Democrats have been keen to focus on.
She accused Trump of planning to “sign a national abortion ban” into law if he is reelected President.
