Swifties for Kamala, the thousands-deep coalition helping to elect Vice President Kamala Harris as the 47th president of the United States, have gained a support in the biggest Swiftie of them all: Taylor Swift. The musician shared her endorsement for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, just moments after last night’s presidential debate. A few hours later, a statement arrived from the desk of Swifties for Kamala. “We never doubted Taylor would endorse at the right time because we know that her values align with Harris and our community,” the coalition shared.
“We are excited to see the momentum she will bring to this campaign,” the statement continued. Swift declared her support for Harris in an Instagram post shared to her 283 million followers. Beneath a photo in which she poses with Benjamin Button, one of her three cats, the singer-songwriter wrote: “I’m voting for @kamalaharris 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.”
Swift concluded her post urging her followers to do their own research and reminding them that “the choice is yours to make.” Still, Swifties for Kamala are hopeful that the musician speaking up will go a long way in getting Harris another four years in the White House, this time as president. “We’re confident Taylor’s words will have a positive impact and encourage more people to join us in our mission to elect Vice President Harris,” the coalition shared. “Taylor has always inspired us Swifties to be Fearless and to Speak Now, and we’re excited to take these efforts to the next level as we sprint to the end of this critical election.”
In the lead-up to the election, Swifties for Kamala will be mobilizing volunteers and engaging with its community of more than 280,000 followers across social platforms to boost fundraising and voter registration efforts. The coalition reports have raised more than $150,000 for the Harris campaign in addition to forming a body of more than 3,500 active volunteers and getting more than 90,000 voters to check their registration status.
This weekend, Swifties for Kamala will host its first official phone bank in partnership with Voters of Tomorrow. Members of the coalition will spend two hours on Saturday, Sept. 14 calling unregistered student voters in Wisconsin and Georgia, two swing states. Swift also shared a link to voter registration resources on her Instagram Story after posting her endorsement.
Last night, the coalition kept its audience updated with posts that used variations of Swift lyrics as reactions to key moments for Harris and Donald Trump during the debate. When Trump claimed that abortions are allowed during the ninth month of pregnancy (you know, the time when the giving birth part happens), Swifties for Kamala quoted “Illicit Affairs,” writing: “But he lies and he lies and he lies a million little times.” And when Harris reminded Trump that he is running against her, and not Joe Biden, the coalition flipped the lyrics from “Midnight Rain”: “He wanted Biden, she was making her own name.”
“We’re incorporating existing parts of our fandom culture to share resources and create volunteer initiatives,” Irene Kim, co-founder and senior communications director of Swifties for Kamala, told Rolling Stone in August. “You come for the Swiftiness, but you’re going to stay for the politics. We want it to be fun, because it’s important to show that politics and voting don’t have to be scary or boring. In terms of encouraging first time voters, we’re really prioritizing getting out the right resources and education.”
