They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I fear that was definitely the case with this chilling photo of Taylor Swift embracing proud Donald Trump supporter Brittany Mahomes in their shared box at the US Open. This photo came after months of Taylor failing to throw even an ounce of support behind the Democratic candidate for president, Vice President Kamala Harris. Following the presidential debate on September 10, Taylor finally endorsed Harris in a lengthy Instagram caption.

“Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight,” she captioned a photo of herself posing with her cat. Taylor announced, “I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.” She called the VP a “steady-handed, gifted leader” and signed off with “Childless Cat Lady,” poking fun at Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance’s ridiculous remarks about childless women. So yeah, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Although I’ve been a fan of Taylor since I was six years old and first heard the musical drug that is “Teardrops On My Guitar,” I was getting pretty frustrated by her prolonged silence before this Instagram post. Instead of ~swiftly~ endorsing Vice President Harris like many of her peers (Ariana Grande, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, etc.), Taylor’s allowed Trump to spread rumors that he has her support, and she’s cozied up to Brittany, one of his few somewhat famous supporters. For a second there, I think Trump really thought he might have the Miss Americana stamp of approval this time around. Thank goodness that is not the case.

We all remember Taylor’s Biden/Harris cookies from 2020, and now, it seems like Harris/Walz cookies just might be in our future. That’s exciting, of course, but I wish we didn’t have to wait until now to get Taylor’s thoughts on the election. Let’s unpack the Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes controversy, how Taylor really feels about Donald Trump, and her Harris endorsement.

Taylor Swift And Brittany Mahomes Controversy Explained

What Did Brittany Mahomes Say About Donald Trump?

Image Credit: Getty

Brittany being a MAGA enthusiast didn’t exactly come as a shock to anyone, but she confirmed her troubling views when she “liked” one of Trump’s August Instagram posts. In the post, he described the “2024 GOP Platform” and listed several deeply offensive and misinformation-based goals, including, “Cut federal funding for any school pushing Critical Race Theory” and “Keep men OUT of women’s sports.” Although Brittany “unliked” the post — presumably in an attempt to save her image — screenshots of her initial “like” surfaced, and she faced a wave of backlash.

In what appeared to be a (wildly dumb) response, Brittany wrote on Instagram, “I mean honestly, to be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood.” She added, “There’s no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well.” So close, Brittany! We actually hate to see others being white supremacists, SA apologists, and overall bigots… especially when their brains are fully developed like yours is.

She then “liked” several MAGA comments on her Instagram, including one that says “TRUMP-VANCE 2024” and one that reads: “Glad to see you aren’t backing down. We’re all entitled to our own opinions and shouldn’t be bullied into submission.” Hmmm, not sure I would call criticizing someone for supporting a racist and misogynist “bullying.”

Brittany even got the approval of Trump himself, who was obviously relieved to get the support of at least one almost-celebrity. “I want to thank beautiful Brittany Mahomes for so strongly defending me, and the fact that MAGA is the greatest and most powerful Political Movement in the History of our now Failing Country,” he wrote on Truth Social on September 4.

How Does Taylor Swift Feel About Donald Trump?

Image Credit: Taylor Swift Instagram

Taylor neglected to speak out against Trump during the 2016 election (supposedly because of the Kanye of it all) and later shared that she regrets that choice. During a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Taylor emphasized that she felt “really remorseful for not saying anything” at the time. When Trump ran again in 2020, she did share her stance and encouraged fans to vote for Joe Biden.

In 2020, Taylor also accused Trump of “destroying our right to vote” and “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism [his] entire presidency” via Twitter. But these days, Trump’s sharing AI images of Taylor and Swifties, claiming that he has the singer’s endorsement and her fans’ support. “I accept,” he wrote in August alongside a carousel of the fake, pro-Trump Taylor and Swiftie images on Truth Social.

Taylor addressed the matter in her September 10 endorsement of Harris. “Recently I was made aware that AI of ‘me’ falsely endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential run was posted to his site,” she wrote. “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.” Yes! Transparency is key!

Considering her tremendous platform and powerful army of Swifties, Taylor’s endorsement really does matter. Back in September 2023, she posted a message on Instagram encouraging her 272 million followers to register to vote, and Vote.org recorded more than 35,000 registrations afterward. With the Harris/Trump election being so close, Taylor might make a significant impact just by speaking up; she has the opportunity to encourage more voter registrations and influence voters’ decisions.

Embracing and snapping photos of Brittany at the US Open was not a good look for Blondie. When she’s allowed Trump to happily claim her endorsement, hasn’t supported Vice President Harris until now, and is besties with a Trump supporter, it’s easy to see why fans were concerned or confused.

I will definitely rest easier tonight knowing that Taylor is not voting for Trump, but I’m guessing Brittany’s tossing and turning.