Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for US president

NEW YORK, United States — Taylor Swift, a self-declared "childless cat lady," has endorsed Kamala Harris for president of the United States.

The global megastar broke her silence on the current state of US politics Tuesday, voicing support for Harris over Donald Trump for the White House, and calling the Democratic candidate a "steady-handed, gifted leader."

"I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election," Swift, among the biggest names on the planet, posted on Instagram.

She did so in the minutes following a televised presidential debate that saw the candidates face off for the first time, which the singer said she tuned in to.

"I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," Swift wrote. "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."

She signed off her Instagram post by dubbing herself a "childless cat lady," a swipe at a much-mocked sentiment expressed by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, which he had wielded in a bid to insult Democratic women.

Until Tuesday, Swift had been conspicuously quiet on the subject of 2024's race, even as many of her fans began organizing under the banner "Swifties for Kamala" and raising more than $150,000 for the Democratic hopeful.

But the 34-year-old said discovering AI-generated images of her falsely endorsing Trump -- which "conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation," she said -- had inspired her to speak up.

"It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter," she said. "The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."

She encouraged her legions of loyal fans to "do your research."

Swift, fresh off the European leg of her blockbuster "Eras" tour, balked at explicitly telling her ardent supporters to vote Harris, instead saying "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."

She also shared the post to her Instagram