Tim Walz apparently learned that he and Kamala Harris had received the support of Taylor Swift during a live television interview on Tuesday evening.
The Minnesota governor was reacting to Harris’ first debate with Donald Trump on MSNBC when moderator Rachel Maddow said she had just been handed something during the conversation. “I don’t think you know about this,” Maddow said. “But this was just posted online by a woman you may have heard of, Taylor Swift.”
Maddow then read the statement Swift posted on her Instagram account, along with a picture of her holding Benjamin Button, one of her three cats. The pop music icon wrote that she was concerned about the AI-generated images purporting to show her supporting Trump’s campaign, and clarified that she would actually cast her vote for Harris.
Swift also used the post to say she was “encouraged and impressed” by Walz – highlighting, among other things, his support for “a woman’s right to her own body” – while also taking a swipe at Trump’s vice presidential nominee JD Vance by signing the message with the words “Childless cat lady.”
As Maddow began reading the text, Walz beamed as a chyron flashed on the screen that read, “TAYLOR SWIFT ENDORSES HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT.” He also placed his hand over his heart in a gesture of gratitude as Maddow read the line that made it clear Swift would vote for him and Harris.
“I need to hear your answer to that, Governor,” Maddow said when she finished reading the statement.
“Wow!” Walz said. “All of these things – I’m especially incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift. I say that as a cat owner, as a cat owner with me.”
“Look, Swifties, you heard it,” he continued. “We know it’s there. That was eloquent and clear. And that’s the kind of courage we need in America to stand up. We saw it with the Republicans who were at the DNC. We saw it with women who would like to keep their private lives private but are forced to go out there because they almost died because they can’t get abortion services while pregnant.”
“And now someone like Taylor Swift comes out and makes that very clear,” Walz said. “This would be the opportunity, Swifties. Kamala Harris dot com – get there, help us, get things moving!”
