The claim: Taylor Swift said she regrets endorsing Harris, Walz ticket
A Sept. 21 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes side-by-side images of musician Taylor Swift and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Breaking News: Taylor Swift Regrets Endorsing Harris and Walz, ‘I Wish I could Take it Back,’” reads the caption on the post.
It was shared more than 100 times in five days. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook.
Our rating: False
The claim originated on a satirical website. There is no evidence the claim is true, and Swift’s endorsement of Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz remains on her Instagram page.
Claim follows other falsehoods related to Swift’s endorsement
Swift endorsed Harris for president and Walz for vice president shortly after Harris’ debate with former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10, as USA TODAY reported.
“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,” said part of Swift’s Instagram statement, which remained on her account as of Sept. 26.
There are no subsequent posts on Swift’s Instagram, Facebook or X, formerly Twitter, accounts that walk back the endorsement. No credible news sources have reported Swift changed her mind.
The claim originated on the Dunning-Kruger Times, part of the America’s Last Line of Defense satirical network. The website’s “About Us” page states that “everything on this website is fiction.”
It’s an example of what could be called “stolen satire,” where stories written as satire and presented that way originally are reposted in a way that makes them appear to be legitimate news. As a result, readers of the second-generation post are misled, as was the case here.
Fact check: No, Chiefs CEO didn’t ban Taylor Swift from games
USA TODAY previously debunked false claims that Swift lost 17 million Instagram followers and that Coca-Cola ended its sponsorship deal with Swift after her endorsement.
USA TODAY reached out to Swift’s spokesperson and users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
