Kamala Harris has shared that she is “very proud” to have Taylor Swift’s support in the upcoming US presidential election.
The pop superstar endorsed the Vice President and Democratic nominee earlier this month, writing in a statement that “she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them”.
Harris has since responded to Swift’s powerful endorsement – which has reportedly led to a 500 per cent increase in voter registration.
During an interview with WIRED for their ‘Answers The Web’s Most Searched Questions’ video feature, the VP responded to a Google search for “Kamala Harris Taylor Swift”, to which the politician revealed she was “very proud to have the support” of the pop icon.
“She’s an incredible artist,” Harris said. “I really respect the courage that she has had in her career to stand up for what she believes is right.”
The presidential candidate also joked that, while they have aligned politics, she and the ‘Eras’ star don’t have as much in common when it comes to the NFL.
“But we were on different sides of the Super Bowl last year,” she said, a nod to Swift’s support of boyfriend Travis Kelce’s winning Kansas City Chiefs.
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“I am a [San Francisco] 49ers fan, but who’s mad at anyone for being loyal to their team, right?” Harris said.
In Swift’s lengthy endorsement post on Instagram – which she shared following the first presidential debate between Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump – also described the VP as “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”.
The statement went on: “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”
She also noted that she was recently made aware of the Trump campaign’s use of AI – which he claims he had no part in – to falsify her support of the former President and convicted felon’s candidacy: “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.”
The Trump campaign this month also released a t-shirt designed very similarly to Swift‘s ‘Eras’ tour merch.
George Clooney has since praised the endorsement as “a beautiful thing to do”, telling Associated Press: “She’s a real phenomenon right now and it’s exciting to see all these young people really engaged in the national discourse.”
Swift joins artists like Charli XCX, Beyoncé, Megan Thee Stallion, P!nk, Bon Iver, Quavo and more who have come out in support of Harris ahead of this November’s election.
On the eve of the 2020 election, Swift shared a video message in which she encouraged fans to vote, having already formally endorsed Joe Biden earlier in that campaign.
Last year, she also drove record-breaking numbers of people to the Vote.org website after encouraging her fans to register to vote.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump recently shared a fake image of Kamala Harris with Diddy following rapper’s arrest.