What to know about Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Music superstar Taylor Swift has officially launched her Kamala Harris era.

Shortly after the Democratic nominee and former President Donald Trump finished their first, and likely only, presidential debate Tuesday evening, Swift, who is nearing the end of her “Eras Tour,” released a lengthy Instagram post announcing her support for Harris — as well as a link to a voter registration website.

She included a photo of herself holding her cat Benjamin Button, and she signed the message “Childless Cat Lady" — a reference to 2021 comments made by JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, about how women without children don't really have a stake in the country’s future.

The endorsement isn't the first time Swift has waded into politics, but it ends months of speculation over whether she would pick a side in this year's presidential tilt. Here's what to know:

In her Instagram post, Swift said she would be voting for Harris because Harris “fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

“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 wrote.

Swift also said her endorsement of Harris was partially prompted by Trump’s decision to post artificial intelligence-generated pictures suggesting 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.

In response, Trump told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that Swift is “a very liberal person” who “seems to always endorse a Democrat and she’ll probably pay a price in the marketplace.”

Swift did not coordinate her endorsement with the Harris campaign, according to two senior campaign officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the campaign’s thinking about Swift. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, appeared surprised by the news when presented with it during an interview with MSNBC.

However, although Harris' team says Swift's post wasn't coordinated, they were prepared for the eventuality and within minutes reposted Swift’s Instagram message across the campaign's channels and released a Swift-themed Harris-Walz friendship bracelet on its store that quickly sold out.

Swift supported Democrat Joe Biden, even posting a photo on social media of her holding “Biden 2020" cookies and saying she cheered for Harris in her debate against then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Swift also was openly critical of Trump, saying he had stoked “the fires of white supremacy and racism.”

Swift first broke her longstanding refusal to discuss politics in 2018 by throwing her support behind Tennessee's Democratic Senate candidate at the time, Phil Bredesen, who was running against Republican Marsha Blackburn.

It was her criticism of Blackburn that stood out in her endorsement, where Swift – who is registered to vote in Tennessee -- slammed the Republican’s opposition to certain LGBTQ+ rights and her vote against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act in 2013.

“In the past I’ve been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now,” Swift wrote on Instagram at the time.

Blackburn eventually won the election in conservative Tennessee, but the endorsement nevertheless solidified Swift as an influential political force.

The 2020 Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” captured several dramatic turning points for Swift. But one of the most revealing involved behind-the-scenes conversations she was having with her family before speaking out against Blackburn in the 2018 Senate race.

Her father warned against it, citing a potential economic impact and security concerns. And her publicist said Trump might come after her.

“I’m saying right now that this is something I know is right,” she told her team. “I need to be on the right side of history.”

In the film, Swift said her desire to wade into politics was sparked after she successfully countersued a Denver radio DJ who she said groped her during a meet-and-greet before a concert.

“It’s not that I want to step into this,” Swift said in the film. “It’s just that I can’t not at this point. Something is different in my life, completely and unchangeably different since the sexual assault trial last year. No man in my organization or in my family will ever understand what that was like.”

Swift's endorsements don't always translate into wins. In 2018, Blackburn won by a comfortable margin. At the time, AP VoteCast found that among Tennessee voters that year, 55% of Democrats and just 19% of Republicans said they had a favorable opinion of Swift.

Notably, Swift is originally from Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground that will be critical for either presidential candidate to their chances of winning the presidency. Yet it is unclear how much sway she might hold among its voters.

While she is popular nationwide, her popularity is especially strong among Democrats. An October 2023 Fox News poll found that 55% of voters overall, including 68% of Democrats, said they had a favorable view of Swift. Republicans were divided, with 43% having a favorable opinion and 45% an unfavorable one.

As of Wednesday, there had been nearly 337,800 visitors to vote.gov referred from Swift's link that she included in her endorsement post, according to a General Services Administration spokesperson. The website refers people to their state election websites for state-specific voting and registration information.

Swift could make history at the MTV Video Music Awards on Wednesday, where she could become the most-awarded musician. The event is known for encouraging young people to register to vote, and should Swift attend, she could reiterate her support for Harris.

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report.

FILE - Taylor Swift performs during "The Eras Tour," Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift arrives at the 65th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 5, 2023. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour on Friday, June 21, 2024 in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift arrives at the world premiere of the concert film "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras tour Friday, March 17, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium as part of her Eras Tour June 21, 2024 in London. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - Taylor Swift attends an in conversation with Taylor Swift event at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 9, 2022. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Sidney Crosby and Leon Draisaitl have their contract extensions, Paul Maurice and the Florida Panthers have the Stanley Cup and a brief but busy summer of moving and shaking is over.

Now, back to hockey.

Less than 90 days since the Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of a thrilling final, training camps open around the league this week with plenty of questions before the puck drops next month on another season.

Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman is the most prominent player left unsigned, camp in Columbus goes on in sorrow after the tragic death of Johnny Gaudreau and players and staff in Utah get a fresh start after the Coyotes relocated from Arizona to Salt Lake City. Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog may be back, Washington winger T.J. Oshie may be gone and it's anyone's guess who will lift the Cup in June.

The Bruins traded 2023 Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Linus Ullmark to Ottawa, content to give the starting job to Swayman. One problem? He's a restricted free agent without a contract for the season.

“Those things just kind of sort themselves out as they do,” said teammate Brandon Carlo, who pointed to his own late arrival and that of fellow defenseman Charlie McAvoy in recent years as reasons not to be worried. “We have a lot of faith within our organization, in our management, to get the right deal done.”

Swayman, who turns 26 in late November, ranked fifth in the NHL with a .916 save percentage and eighth with a 2.53 goals-against average last season. He was being paid a team-friendly $3.475 million on a one-year contract and will get a raise — but how much and for how long?

“It’s obviously a balance of going back and forth,” Carlo said. “But I’ve had some conversations with Sway. He seems pretty encouraged and in a good mindset with it all, so as long as he’s feeling OK mentally, that’s all we really care about.”

Among the other unsigned players are Detroit's Moritz Seider two years removed from being rookie of the year, Dallas defenseman Thomas Harley and New Jersey forward Dawson Mercer. The Red Wings signed Lucas Raymond to a $64 million, eight-year contract Monday.

The Blue Jackets are getting back on the ice mere weeks after Johnny Gaudreau and younger brother Matthew died when they were struck by a driver of an SUV while riding bicycles on the eve of their sister's wedding. A candlelight vigil was held outside the arena in Columbus, players and team employees attended the tearful funeral and playing hockey was the furthest thing from anyone's mind.

Captain Boone Jenner and general manager Don Waddell hope the rink will serve as a refuge of sorts.

“We both agreed the quicker we can get guys back in the room together, the better it would be for everybody,” Waddell said. “We all mourn and heal differently, but I think as a team, being together like that is going to be critical for them to get moving forward.”

This is the team's second camp in recent years that follows the offseason death of a player. Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died in July 2021 of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast at the wedding of an assistant coach's daughter.

This will be the 45th training camp for the organization that was once the original Winnipeg Jets, then the Phoenix Coyotes and until earlier this year the Arizona Coyotes. It's the first and only season as the Utah Hockey Club after a move from the desert to Salt Lake City.

Ryan and Ashley Smith's Smith Entertainment Group now owns the team, keeping the same hockey operations staff, coaches, players and prospects but starting over with a clean slate in the record books like an expansion franchise.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play with a new organization," said Josh Doan, who's now with Utah after making his NHL debut with the team dad Shane captained for much of his career. “But to do it with all the guys you’ve been with and the people that you’re close with already is something that’s fun to do.”

Utah, which is expected to get permanent name and logo after the season, plays its first game Oct. 8 against Chicago at the downtown Delta Center, the home of the NBA's Jazz.

Six-time 30-goal scorer Max Pacioretty is the biggest player attending camp on a professional tryout agreement. Pacioretty is in Toronto, and agent Allan Walsh has said he expects the 35-year-old winger to sign a contract prior to the start of the season.

Others with the opportunity to earn a deal include Travis Dermott with defending Western Conference champion Edmonton; fellow defenseman Tyson Barrie with Calgary; 2020 and '21 Cup winner Tyler Johnson with Boston; and respected veteran forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with Colorado. Longtime New York Islanders enforcer Matt Martin is also back, hoping to stick around and get another contract.

Landeskog's next game will be his first in the NHL since lifting the Stanley Cup over his head when the Avalanche defeated the Lightning in Game 6 of the final in 2022. A nagging right knee injury and subsequent cartilage replacement surgery to attempt to fix the problem have cost the Swedish forward the past two seasons.

“Seeing him around the rink, obviously being more active on the ice, seeing the progressions he’s made from when we were here for playoffs previously, it’s awesome to see,” forward Logan O'Connor said.

Oshie has played through chronic back problems for years and said after Washington lost in the first round of the playoffs he would only return if he and doctors could come up with a solution that keeps him in the lineup. The Capitals seem to have prepared for life without Oshie, but it is not clear if the 37-year-old who was part of their 2018 Cup run intends to try to keep playing.

AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow, AP Sports Writer Pat Graham and AP freelance writer W.G. Ramirez contributed.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Columbus Blue Jackets line up at their blue line for the national anthem with Boston Bruins before the Sabres Prospects Challenge hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/John Wawrow)

FILE - Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman makes a glove save during the third period in Game 6 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series against the Florida Panthers, May 17, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)