Taylor Swift sent us a series of hidden clues before sharing her election thoughts.

"What if I told you none of it was accidental?"

That's the iconic line from Taylor Swift's song 'Mastermind' where she admits to orchestrating… basically everything in her life. And it's become a popular phrase for fans to throw about whenever she's doing something Swiftian: dropping clues and hints, also known as easter eggs, in music videos, red carpet outfits and more.

But if we put on our detective goggles and look at the lead up to her endorsement of Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, we'd notice a number of "Easter eggs" that led to the big moment, all culminating in her having the final say at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.

If you're wondering why Taylor Swift remained "silent" for so long, or chose this moment to speak out, this is why. And fans saw it coming, thanks to what? The Easter eggs. To quote ABBA, the history book on the shelf is always repeating itself.

Let's get into it.

Taylor Swift's political history.

Aside from a 2016 post encouraging her followers to vote — but not declaring who she was voting for — Taylor Swift had never spoken publicly about politics. She shared some posts about the Women's March and the March for Our Lives in 2017 and 2018, respectively, but hadn't declared any political alignment.

Then, in 2018, she shared a post encouraging her followers to "research" local candidates and cast their votes in the mid-term election. She shared that she was voting for Tennessee's Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen (for Senate) and Jim Cooper (for the House of Representatives). Her lengthy Instagram caption focused on why she believed remonstrated Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn should not be elected.

"In the past I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," she wrote on Instagram.

"As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn. Her voting record in Congress appalls and terrifies me. She voted against equal pay for women. She voted against the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which attempts to protect women from domestic violence, stalking, and date rape. She believes businesses have a right to refuse service to gay couples. She also believes they should not have the right to marry. These are not MY Tennessee values."

In another Instagram post supporting Bredesen for Senate, Swift wrote that "we want leadership, not fear-based extremism".

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift)

In the Netflix documentary Miss Americana, which explores Swift's life behind the scenes of her 'Reputation' stadium tour in the lead up to the release of 'Lover', the singer elaborates on her choice to speak up about her political views.

In one pivotal scene, Swift is seen arguing with her team (including her father, Scott Swift) about why she wants to speak up. They voice their concern for her safety if she were to come out against Republican politicians in such a tense political climate, while she expresses her concerns about "being on the right side of history".

"I'm sad that I didn't [speak out] two years ago, but I can't change that," she tells her team, referencing Donald Trump's 2016 election.

You Need to Calm Down… and The Equality Act.

In 2019, Swift wrote an open letter in support of The Equality Act.

The letter was addressed to Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander urging him to support passage of the Equality Act, a bill meant to expand federal civil rights protections for LGBTQIA+ people by prohibiting discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

She also encouraged fans to write similar letters to their senators and to sign a Change.org petition she started in support of the act.

"Let's show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all of our citizens equally," she wrote.

She followed up the letter by releasing her music video for You Need to Calm Down, which featured prominent LGBTQ+ stars including Laverne Cox, Tyler Ferguson, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown and many more.

The video ended with a call to sign her Change.org petition.

Politics at the MTV VMAs, part one.

If fans wanted to know when Swift might speak up on the election, they simply needed to cast an eye back to 2019.

Her very, very well-documented attendance at the VMAs in 2019 was one the first times Swift spoke about politics in-person. Live, on stage, for millions around the world to see.

While accepting an award for the You Need To Calm Down music video, Swift told the audience: "you voting for this video means that you want a world where we're all treated equally under the law."

She then spoke of the petition, and used her platform to call out the Trump administration's lack of acknowledgment of the Equality Act petition.

"It now has half a million signatures, which is five times the amount that it would need to warrant a response from the White House," Swift said, before looking at her wrist as if checking the time.

CONGRATS @taylorswift13 on her SECOND time winning VIDEO OF THE YEAR #VMAs pic.twitter.com/l8TOibbTTr

— Video Music Awards (@vmas) August 27, 2019

The 2020 election and Taylor Swift's cookies.

After making several declarations, including one in an essay for Elle Magazine where she vowed to become more politically active, Swift followed through on her promise.

She directly targeted Donald Trump on Twitter in May 2020, after he referred to protesters as "thugs" during the Black Lives Matter protests.

"After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? 'When the looting starts the shooting starts'??? We will vote you out in November," she wrote, going on to tag him in her post.

She then endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 election.

"I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year's presidential election," she told V Magazine. "Under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs."

She followed up with an iconic photo of political baked goods.

"I just wanna do everything I can for 2020. I wanna figure out exactly how I can help, what are the most effective ways to help," she told The Guardian.

After all this, fans were certain they knew where she stood. Until they weren't.

Taylor's Biden/Harris cookies went viral in 2020. Image: Getty.

The 2024 election… and Brittany Mahomes.

This year, Swift's politics came into question as the race for the 2024 presidency began heating up. While stars like Beyoncé threw their immediate support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as she declared her run for President, Swift was notably silent.

Loyal Swifties declared her endorsement would be coming.

In August, Swift wrapped up the European leg of The Eras Tour. In a caption that addressed the planned terrorist attack in Vienna, which led to the cancellation of her shows in the city, she shared a post about why she hadn't publicly spoken about the attack yet. Her long caption appeared to address the US election, too.

"Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows," she wrote.

"In cases like this one, 'silence' is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it's right to."

While her statement explained her silence to some, restlessness was growing among fans and critics alike. Then, she was seen hanging out with Brittany Mahomes. She's the wife of Patrick Mahomes, who is friends with Swift's boyfriend Travis Kelce. That's a lot of dots to connect.

The duo only know each other through their partners, but were seen laughing and hugging at the US Open. What's the problem? Mahomes was recently revealed to have 'liked' pro-Trump content on social media. And the internet took Swift's silence, plus her new friendship, as a sign she may have changed her political views.

Criticism was swift, pardon the pun, with some of her biggest fan accounts on social media even calling for her to speak out. Not long after, she did. But the Easter eggs prove the timing was planned all along.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Brittany Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes at the US Open. Image: Getty.

Taylor Swift's endorsement of Kamala Harris.

A couple of days later, on September 10, Swift endorsed the VP.

She shared a photo of herself holding her cat, Benjamin Button, and reflected on the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris that she had just watched. The caption was clearly pre-planned, given the debate had barely wrapped when she posted.

"Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven't already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country," she began.

Swift took the opportunity to address Trump's AI-created endorsements, one of which featured a fake Swift.

"Recently I was made aware that AI of 'me' falsely endorsing Donald Trump's presidential run was posted to his site," she said. "It really conjured up my fears around AI, and the dangers of spreading misinformation.

"It brought me to the conclusion that I need to be very transparent about my actual plans for this election as a voter. The simplest way to combat misinformation is with the truth."

Swift then proceeded to say that she will be casting her vote for 2024 with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

"I'm voting for Kamala Harris 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.

"I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate Tim Walz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman's right to her own body for decades."

Swift again emphasised the importance of all American voters doing their research. She also took time to call out the voters who will be entering the polling booth for the first time this year.

"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."

She signed off the post, "With love and hope, Taylor Swift. Childless Cat Lady."

This final line was a reference to quotes made by Trump's running mate JD Vance, who said America was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs, and "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too."

Big yikes.

While the post was timed to coincide with the end of the debate, it was clear Swift had planned her post to perfection. Especially when you consider that Kamala Harris exited the debate to 'The Man', a Swift song she would have had to receive approval from Swift to use.

Swift knew she would "hit go" on her political landmine at the right time, and saved it for the moment it might have the most impact — when her name was making headlines.

Taylor Swift's push to vote at the 2024 MTV VMAs.

The day after her post, on September 11, Swift appeared at the VMAs where she was sure to win a number of awards. She picked up eight, and used her final speech of the night — the final words of the awards show, in fact — to remind viewers to vote.

On a night where she made history as the most awarded artist in the history of the VMAs, Swift was ready to use her platform in the most public way possible.

"To the fans, I'm always trying to figure out a way to say thank you to you for making my life what it is," Swift said onstage.

"If you are over 18 please register to vote for something else that is very important," she said with a knowing smile.

Taylor Swift's historic run at the VMAs was capped off with a push to vote. Image: Getty.

While the criticism of Swift's silence in the lead up to her post was justified, given her own commitment to speaking out, it seems she had a plan all along.

You can always count on Taylor Swift to be calculated. She's a mastermind, after all.

Feature Image: Getty.