JD Vance Reacts to Taylor Swift’s ‘Childless Cat Lady’ Dig in Kamala Harris Endorsement

The queen of all childless cat ladies finally said her piece on the 2024 presidential election this week, with Taylor Swift endorsing Kamala Harris, denouncing Donald Trump, and dissing JD Vance in one fell swoop — but the Republican VP pick doesn’t think it matters.

In an interview on Fox News’ The Story on Wednesday (Sept. 11), Vance shrugged off the pop star’s dig at his past remarks about Democrats in her post advocating for Harris the night prior — which she signed “Childless Cat Lady” — and dismissed the idea that Swift’s stardom carries much weight in politics. “We admire Taylor Swift’s music,” the Ohio senator began while speaking to host Martha MacCallum, who joked that Swift’s callout would haunt his “dreams and nightmares for years to come.”

More from Billboard

“But I don’t think most Americans — whether they like her music, are fans of hers or not — are going to be influenced by a billionaire celebrity, who I think is fundamentally disconnected from the interests and problems of most Americans,” he continued. “When grocery prices go up by 20%, it hurts most Americans. It doesn’t hurt Taylor Swift.”

“When housing prices become unaffordable, it doesn’t affect Taylor Swift or any other billionaire,” Vance added, sidestepping the irony of his running mate also being a billionaire celebrity before crossing over into politics in 2016.

Vance did not, however, touch on the “Anti-Hero” singer’s complaint about the Trump campaign using AI-generated images of her in August that falsely portrayed her as a MAGA supporter. In her post endorsing Harris, Swift cited the trespass as one of the main reasons she wanted to speak out about her stance in the 2024 election.

“It really conjured up my fears around AI and the dangers of spreading misinformation,” the 14-time Grammy winner wrote in her endorsement, which she shared moments after Harris and Trump’s ABC News debate Tuesday (Sept. 10). “The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth.”

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift added. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. … I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

In the hours following the superstar’s post, Harris played Swift’s “The Man” at a post-debate gathering and Democratic VP pick Tim Walz gushed about Swift “as a fellow cat owner” in an interview. Plus, the duo’s campaign began selling Eras-Tour-inspired friendship bracelets online, quickly selling out.

Trump also had something to say about Swift’s post. “I was not a Taylor Swift fan,” he said on Fox & Friends. “It was just a question of time … she’s a very liberal person, she seems to always endorse a Democrat and she’ll probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”

Best of Billboard

Sign up for Billboard's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.