Eagle-eyed viewers of the vice presidential debate may have spotted a familiar Swiftie accessory on Tim Walz‘s arm. The Democratic candidate sported two Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets during his debate against Republican hopeful J.D. Vance, which were a gift from his daughter Hope.
After fans began posting photos of the bracelets online, Walz acknowledged that his 23-year-old daughter had offered them to him. “Nothing is more important in my life than being a dad,” Walz wrote on X. “Grateful to Hope for the lucky charm before the debate last night.”
The Harris-Walz campaign later confirmed to People that Hope gave her father the bracelets just before he left for the debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City earlier this week. The bracelets said “Joyful Warrior” and “Coach,” both of which have been nick-names for Walz since he joined vice president Kamala Harris on the campaign trail.
Walz also invoked Swift, who endorsed Harris for president, during the debate. “I’m as surprised as anybody of this coalition that Kamala Harris has built,” Walz said during his closing statement. “From Bernie Sanders to Dick Cheney to Taylor Swift, and a whole bunch of folks in between there. And they don’t all agree on everything, but they are truly optimistic people. They believe in a positive future of this country, and one where our politics can be better than it is.”
Last month, following the debate between Harris and Donald Trump, Swift officially offered her endorsement to the Harris-Walz ticket. “I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift wrote on social media. “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. 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.”
The singer added, “I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice. Your research is all yours to do, and the choice is yours to make. I also want to say, especially to first time voters: Remember that in order to vote, you have to be registered! I also find it’s much easier to vote early. I’ll link where to register and find early voting dates and info in my story.”
Swift’s decision infuriated Trump, who posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on Truth Social following her endorsement. He later said, “I was not a Taylor Swift fan. It was just a question of time. You couldn’t possibly endorse Biden. But 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.”