Popstar Taylor Swift was dragged by a troll—apparently a fan of presidential hopeful Donald Trump—in an elaborate stunt involving a personal message delivered by plane on Sunday.
A small aircraft flying above the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, shortly before the singer was due to perform was towing a banner reading: "Trump 2024 – Ready For It, Cat Lady? MAGA!"
The phrase "ready for it" appears to be a play on the star's hit song "...Ready For It?" released in 2017.
Meanwhile, the offensive slur "cat lady" was famously used by Trump's running mate JD Vance, who slammed "childless cat ladies" in a misogynistic rant against Kamala Harris and others who do not have children.
Swift, who does not have children and has three pet cats, later publicly endorsed Harris with a post on Instagram, archly signing off her message, "Childless Cat Lady."
It is not known who organised the plane stunt targeting Swift and her fans at the weekend, but the "MAGA" note at the end refers to the Trump-supporting 'Make America Great Again' movement.
Concert-goers waiting to enjoy the star's Eras Tour filmed the plane from inside the stadium and the clips were later widely shared online by MAGA enthusiasts.
One post, uploaded by a user on X (formerly Twitter) named Tony, who describes himself as an "America First" patriot who was once retweeted by Trump, went viral.
The footage he posted of the plane was viewed more than 1 million times and was shared by almost 5,000 X users.
Tony captioned the clip: "LOL!!! Someone flew a banner over Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in Miami that said: "TRUMP 2024 - READY FOR IT, CAT LADY? MAGA!" Absolutely incredible."
LOL!!! Someone flew a banner over Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour in Miami that said:
"TRUMP 2024 - READY FOR IT, CAT LADY? MAGA!"
Absolutely incredible 🤣🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/L3L2lj7DaH
Newsweek has reached out by email to Trump's representatives and is attempting to contact Swift's management for comment.
Swift, 34, officially endorsed Harris last month, writing: "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. 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. [Signed] Childless Cat Lady."
Her post was seen as a significant boost for Harris and Democrats hoped to capitalize on it. Florida Democrats were working with the "Swifties for Kamala" outreach group over the weekend to encourage concert-goers to cast their votes, according to digital political news outlet Politico.
Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Eden Giagnorio said: "[Swift] holds immense power to get out the vote. We hope our organizing efforts will help voters connect the dots — but nothing compares to her advocacy around it."
However, some voting experts believe that high-profile endorsements such as Swift's make little difference at the ballot box, with one poll suggested it may even have hurt Harris' campaign.
In any case, as the November 5 presidential election draws ever closer, both sides will be ramping up their efforts in a last-ditch attempt to win over voters and ensure their supporters take the time to cast their ballots.
A closing line from Swift's "...Ready For It?" song perhaps sums things up. "Let the games begin," she sings.
English (US) ·