Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris stepped off the stage to debate former President Donald Trump for the first time, she won the endorsement that millions across the country have been waiting for: Taylor Swift.

Swift posted a lengthy statement on Instagram expressing her support for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The 14-time Grammy Award winner praised Harris, writing that she “fights for the rights and causes I believe warriors need.”

“I think she is a steady hand and a gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish more in this country if we are led by calmness, not chaos,” Swift's post continued.

“I have stood up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and the right of women to have their own bodies for decades.

Swift's endorsement garnered more than 3.1 million likes in less than an hour in less than an hour. Celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Jack Antonoff, Caitlin Clark, Chrissy Teigen, and Karlie Kloss liked the post to the post.

The same post opened with Republican candidate Donald Trump's admission that he had shared an artificial intelligence-generated image of Swift to promote his campaign. The incident prompted Taylor Swift to speak out about her voting plans. She wrote, “I have come to the conclusion that as a voter, I must be transparent about my actual plans for this election.” The simplest way to combat misinformation is to tell the truth.”

Swift's endorsement was accompanied by a photo from the TIME Person of the Year photo shoot, in which she is holding her cat, Benjamin Button. A shrewd choice: Trump running mate J.D. Vance once disparaged the Democrat as a “childless cat lady.” Swift is perhaps the world's most powerful childless cat lady, between her billion-dollar music empire and her ability to move thousands of people to register to vote with a single Instagram post, as she did before the 2018 midterm elections.

This is the second major U.S. election in which Taylor Swift has publicly endorsed a Democratic candidate for president; in 2020, in an Instagram post in which she baked cookies with a Biden and Harris ticket theme and an essay for V magazine, she announced that she would vote for him.

In the 2020 documentary Miss Americana, Swift revealed that she had avoided discussing her political views in the past. During an argument with her father shown in the film, Swift said she “needs to get on the right side of history” and become more outspoken about her views. Later, she endorsed a Democratic candidate in her home state of Tennessee for U.S. Senate.

Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris will come as a relief to her fan base, known as Swiffy, and to some who organize groups such as Swifties 4 Kamala. Her most recent friend, Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, “liked” a post on Instagram expressing support for President Trump and has come under fire for pressing “like” on the post. Swift was seen hugging Mahomes at the U.S. Open over the weekend, causing a backlash as fans suspected that Swift's views had also shifted to the right since the last election, despite her previous statements in support of Democratic candidates and causes.

Her postings clearly indicate her intentions.

Read Taylor Swift's statement in support of Kamala Harris for president in full below.

Like many of you, I watched tonight's debate. If you haven't already, now is a great time to research the issues at hand and the candidates' stances on the topics that matter most to you. As a voter, I try to watch and read everything I can about the candidates' proposed policies and plans for this country.

I recently learned of a post on his site by “my” AI falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run, reminding me of my concerns regarding AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation. As a result, I have come to the conclusion that as a voter I need to be transparent about my actual plans for this election. The simplest way to combat misinformation is to tell the truth.

I will be voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 presidential election. I am voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe warriors need. I think she is a steady and talented leader and I believe we can accomplish more in this country if we are led by calm instead of chaos Tim Walz, who has stood up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and the right for women to have their own bodies for decades (@timwalz) as my running mate, I was very heartened and inspired by his choice.

I did my research and made my choice. Your research is yours and your choices are yours. I would also like to say, especially to those who are voting for the first time: remember that you must be registered to vote. Also, it is much easier to vote early. In my experience, I will link you to where to register and the dates and information for early voting.

With Love and Hope,

Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady