To the "cat lady"

Musk makes a decidedly brazen offer to Swift

Taylor Swift has entered the US election campaign as a "childless cat lady".

(Bild: APA Pool/AFP/PEDRO UGARTE)

Scandal surrounding tech billionaire Elon Musk. Just a few hours after pop star Taylor Swift (34) made public her support for US Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election, Musk made her a completely tasteless offer.

In a bizarre post on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Tesla and SpaceX CEO suggested "giving" Swift a child.

"Will give you a child"
"Well, Taylor ... you win ... I'll give you a child and protect your cats with my life," Musk, who has at least twelve children with three women, smugly told the singer. 

Swift had previously announced her political support on Instagram and signed off with the words: "Taylor Swift, childless cat lady", a reference to Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance. In a 2021 interview, the father of three had referred to leading Democratic politicians as "childless cat ladies", directly attacking Kamala Harris, who has no biological children. Swift posted a photo of herself with a cat to accompany her call.

Swift for "talented leader" Harris
Swift wants to vote for Democrat Kamala Harris in the US presidential election for certain reasons. Harris is a "talented leader" and stands up for rights and causes that require a "warrior", Swift wrote on Tuesday evening in an Instagram post published shortly after the end of the Vice President's TV debate with former President Donald Trump. "I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the presidential election," Swift wrote.

"Fighting misinformation with truth"
"We can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led with calm and not chaos," Swift adopted one of Harris' main lines of attack against former President Trump. She based her disclosure on the fact that Trump had recently posted an AI-generated false statement of support from her on his page. "This led me to the conclusion that I should be completely transparent about my actual plans as a voter. The easiest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."

"I informed myself and I made my choice," the singer emphasized. She was "impressed" that Harris had chosen Walz as her deputy. He has been standing up for the rights of the LGBT community, the right to artificial insemination and women's abortion rights for decades. Swift encouraged her supporters to inform themselves about the candidates and their programs and to make their own choice. She urged first-time voters to register to vote and not overlook the applicable deadlines.

Walz delighted with support
Walz was delighted with the support. "I'm grateful to Taylor Swift, and I say that as a cat owner," the Minnesota governor said on US broadcaster MSNBC on Tuesday evening. Swift's posting "was eloquent and clear. That's the courage we need in America."

Swift's election call comes as little surprise, as Swift has supported the Democrats in the past. An endorsement from Harris was expected after she posted a photo on her Instagram account a few weeks ago showing the silhouette of a woman reminiscent of the Vice President.

"Enormous radiance" and 283 million followers
Swift's Instagram account has 283 million followers, which corresponds to almost the entire population of the USA. According to US campaign expert Yussi Pick, Swift's endorsement could be the deciding factor in the expected close race.

Swift has "enormous appeal in target groups that cannot be reached with traditional media", Pick said in an APA interview at the beginning of the year. "If it's only about 40,000 votes, that makes a difference," he said, referring to Republican Trump's narrow victory in the 2016 election.

Swift's previous calls for voter registration, for example, had each led to a "spike" in the number of registrations, Pick emphasized. The singer had her beginnings in (rather conservative) country music and was popular among both Democrats and Republicans. She may not be able to win over hardcore Trump supporters, but she can win over those who are disenchanted with politics.