(The Hill) – Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark set the record straight after her Instagram “like” on Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Vice President Harris stoked speculation about her political beliefs.
Clark was among a series of public figures — and more than 10.2 million others — to hit the like button on Swift’s Instagram post announcing her support for Harris and vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) Tuesday night.
When asked by reporters Wednesday about the post and if she plans to endorse Harris herself, Clark said, “I have this amazing platform.” The WNBA player boasts nearly 3 million followers on Instagram.
“So, I think the biggest thing would be just encourage people to register to vote. I think for myself, the second time I can vote in an election at age 22, I could vote when I was 18,” she said. “So, I think do that. That’s the biggest thing I can do with the platform that I have, and that’s the same thing Taylor did.”
In a message to her more than 280 million Instagram followers, Swift encouraged her followers to do their “research,” and reminded them to register to vote ahead of the November election.
Clark shared a similar message, urging voters to “educate” themselves on this year’s nominees.
“Continue to educate yourself on the candidates that we have, the policies that they’re supporting — I think that’s the biggest thing you can do,” she said. “And that’s what I would recommend to every single person that has the opportunity in our country.”
Clark, this year’s No. 1 WNBA draft pick, emerged as a national star over the past two years with a record-breaking collegiate career at the University of Iowa capped by two deep runs in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Since her rising fame, the superstar athlete has found herself mentioned in political conversations at times. Earlier this year, Clark said it was “disappointing” that online users were using her name to post racist and misogynist comments targeted at other WNBA players.
In Swift’s endorsement, just moments after Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Harris and former President Trump, the “Love Story” singer said she is backing the vice president 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,” Swift wrote to her more than 280 million Instagram followers. Harris’s campaign quickly seized on the support, using the celebrity endorsement in their fundraising emails.
The pop star also cited fake images generated by artificial intelligence that suggested she was supporting Trump as a reason for endorsing the Democratic nominee. Swift signed her message, “Childless Cat Lady,” a jab at GOP vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance’s (R-Ohio) past comments attacking Harris and other prominent Democrats.
More than 330,000 visitors flocked to vote.gov as of Wednesday by way of Swift’s endorsement, the General Services Administration (GSA), told The Hill.