CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Taylor Swift's endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election made national headlines, but why was this particular endorsement such a big deal?
Swift doesn't often speak out on politics, but when she does, it has an impact. Let's connect the dots.
Shortly after Tuesday's debate, Taylor Swift formally endorsed Kamala Harris on Instagram. In the post, she urged people to register to vote and included a custom URL that links to Vote.gov.
“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 said.
Swift wrote that her endorsement was partially prompted by Trump’s decision to post AI-generated pictures suggesting that she had endorsed him. One showed Swift dressed as Uncle Sam, and the text said “Taylor wants YOU to VOTE for DONALD TRUMP.”
Trump's posts “brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter,” Swift wrote. She added that "I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice."
The website helps visitors register to vote in their states. It also breaks down American voting rights, the election process and answers common questions potential voters may have.
Less than 24 hours after Swift posted the link, nearly 338,000 people clicked on it. And it's not the first time the "Cruel Summer" singer's had a major impact on an election.
Just last year, Swift posted the same link and urged her fans to register to vote. Shortly after, the site reported more than 35,000 new registered voters.
TEGNA and the Associated Press contributed to this report.