Taylor Swift has officially endorsed Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race. The artist made the announcement shortly after Harris concluded her first debate with her opponent, former President Donald Trump.

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

Swift then referenced the fake AI images that showed her supporting Trump, which Trump himself shared on Truth Social.

“It really brought to the forefront my fears around AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” Swift wrote. “It led me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my real plans for this election as a voter. 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 am voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes that I believe need a warrior to defend. I think she is a determined, talented leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country when we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so encouraged and impressed by her choice of running mate @timwalz, who has been advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to control her own body for decades.”

“I’ve done my research and I’ve made my choice. It’s completely up to you to do your research and make the choice. I also want to say, especially to first-time voters, remember that you have to be registered to vote! I also find it much easier to vote early. I’ll link in my story to where you can register and where you can find the dates and information for early voting.”

Swift subsequently signed the statement as “Childless Cat Lady,” a reference to comments made by Trump’s 2021 running mate, J.D. Vance.

While appearing live on MSNBC during the network’s post-debate coverage, Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, responded to Swift’s show of support by telling host Rachel Maddow, “I’m incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift, first of all. I say that as a cat owner — a fellow cat owner.”

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

“We’ve seen it with those Republicans who were at the DNC, we’ve seen it with women who want to keep their own private lives private, but are forced to go there because they almost died because they couldn’t get an abortion during a pregnancy,” Walz added. “And now you have someone like Taylor Swift coming forward and making that very clear.”

He then gave a shoutout to Swift’s fans, saying, “This is your chance, Swifties — KamalaHarris.com — get out there, lend us a hand, get this thing going.”

Swift previously supported President Joe Biden and Harris during the 2020 election cycle. This was her first public endorsement of a presidential candidate.

Swift then announced her support by posting 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 landed on the same day as the VP debate between Harris and Mike Pence. Swift wrote that she would “watch @kamalaharris & support by yelling at the TV a lot.”

The 2019 Netflix documentary Mrs America described the singer-songwriter’s decision to come forward about her political views after keeping them private for most of her career. Before an all-male board of directors meeting that included her father, Scott Swift, she tearfully demanded approval to state her views explicitly.

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

A 2023 Instagram post she made on National Voter Registration Day led to a wave of 35,000 new voters. Earlier that year, the “You Need to Calm Down” singer also encouraged her fans in Nashville to participate in local and state elections.

“We have the opportunity to choose 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 voices heard.”