Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
Taylor Swift remains mum on Elon Musk’s impregnation post
If Your Time is short
- There is no evidence that singer-songwriter Taylor Swift responded to entrepreneur Elon Musk’s X post saying he would "give" her a child following her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Just as her Instagram post endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for the 2024 presidential election received a flurry of likes, pop superstar Taylor Swift also received a torrent of negative comments and criticism for supporting the Democratic presidential ticket.
Swift announced her endorsement following the Sept. 10 debate in Philadelphia between Harris and former President Donald Trump, citing the latter's use of artificial intelligence imagery falsely depicting her endorsement of him.
The "Look What You Made Me Do" singer said she’s backing Harris because she "fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them," and was impressed by Walz "standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF (in vitro fertilization) and a woman’s right to her own body for decades."
Swift signed her post as "childless cat lady," referring to derisive comments made about Democrats by Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
The response from conservatives was largely negative, with former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly saying "‘F’ you, Taylor Swift" on her radio talk show and Trump posting in all capital letters, "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!" on his Truth Social platform.
Another person who weighed in on Swift's endorsement: Elon Musk, the 53-year-old Trump-supporting CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
"Fine Taylor ... you win ... I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life," Musk wrote on X, the social media platform he owns after purchasing Twitter in 2022 and rebranding it.
His post was denounced as "creepy," "painfully unfunny" and featuring "misogynistic undertones." Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Musk's remarks "another way of saying rape."
Featured Fact-check
Although Swift hasn’t responded publicly to the post, that hasn’t stopped social media users from sharing a doctored screenshot from X purporting to show her commenting.
"Great! I’ll be happy to take Vivian and give her all the love and respect she deserves," read a screenshot shared in a Sept. 12 Threads post on the 34-year-old singer-songwriter’s purported reply.
The post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
No such post appears on Swift’s X account, with the most recent update, a post she shared June 22, 2024, wishing Prince William a happy birthday. PolitiFact found no evidence of a response to Musk being shared on any of Swift’s other social media accounts, including Threads, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
A similar fake response from Travis Kelce, Swift's boyfriend and a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, was ruled False by PolitiFact.
The "Vivian" in the fake Swift post seemingly refers to Vivian Wilson, Musk's transgender daughter, whom the tech CEO said was dead to him after being "killed by the woke mind virus" following her transition.
Wilson reacted to Musk's post on Threads, calling it "heinous incel nonsense."
"I don't really have anything to add to it, it's just abhorrent," she said. "It's disgusting, it's belittling and incredibly sexist."
There is no record of Swift responding publicly to Musk’s social media post, and we rate False the claim that she’s offered to raise his 20-year-old daughter.
Our Sources
Taylor Swift’s Instagram post (archive), Sept. 10, 2024
Mavis Rowley Berke’s Threads post (archive), Sept. 12, 2024
The New York Times, "Trump Promotes A.I. Images to Falsely Suggest Taylor Swift Endorsed Him," Aug. 19, 2024
NBC News, "JD Vance doubles down on 'childless cat ladies' dig: 'I've got nothing against cats,'" July 26, 2024
Variety, "Megyn Kelly Says ‘F You, Taylor Swift’ in Dramatic Tirade After Singer Endorses Kamala Harris: ‘Taylor and Travis Kelce Are the Epitomes of Elite Snobs,’" Sept. 11, 2024
CBS News, "Donald Trump says I hate Taylor Swift!,’" Sept. 15, 2024
Elon Musk’s X post (archive), July 13, 2024
Elon Musk's X post (archive), Sept. 10, 2024
USA Today, "Trump surrogate Elon Musk sends creepy tweet to Taylor Swift as campaign goes beyond weird," Sept. 11, 2024
New York Magazine, "Elon Musk’s Taylor Swift Response Is Worse Than You Think," Sept. 11, 2024
MSNBC, "Elon Musk’s retort to Taylor Swift for endorsing Harris aligns with how the right talks about women," Sept. 12, 2024
The Independent, "Hillary Clinton condemns Elon Musk’s ‘creepy’ message to Taylor Swift: ‘Another way of saying rape,’" Sept. 17, 2024
NBC News, "Elon Musk's transgender daughter, in first interview, says he berated her for being queer as a child," July 25, 2024
PolitiFact, "No, Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce didn’t say he could ‘twist’ Elon Musk ‘into a pretzel,’" Sept. 13, 2024
Vivian Jenna Wilson's Threads post (archive), Sept. 11, 2024
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Andy Nguyen
Taylor Swift remains mum on Elon Musk’s impregnation post
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.