Taylor Swift’s seemingly infinite stardom, catapulted by her new relationship with Super Bowl-bound tight end Travis Kelce, has spawned conspiracy theories about how the world’s biggest popstar could sway the 2024 presidential election.
Among the theories, mostly peddled by the far-right, include allegations that Swift and Kelce’s romance is manufactured psyop by the government to boost ratings for the NFL or to amass an even larger fanbase ahead of her endorsement for President Biden.
“I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month,” Vivek Ramaswamy, the failed Republican presidential candidate and Trump supporter posted on social media Monday after the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the championship for the fourth time in five years.
“And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall,” he added.
Donald Trump mouthpiece Mike Crispi claimed after the Kansas City Chiefs win Sunday that the NFL was “rigged” in a nefarious effort to spread “Democrat propaganda” to the masses.
“Everyone who thinks Taylor Swift *won’t* heroically parachute into the Stadium at the Super Bowl, straight off the jet from her Japan tour…Are absolute SHEEP,” he posted on X.
“Taylor’s coming. She, nor the NFL are passing up the money,” he continued. “She’s endorsing Biden. It’s rigged. You’re the pawn.”
Swift has also been called out by Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec and other conservative pundits like Laura Loomer and Charlie Kirk.
Kirk claimed in November that Swift would “come out for the presidential election” on the issue of abortion: “All the Swifties want is swift abortion,” he said.
The “Shake it Off” singer has been on the radar of pundits since September when she urged her 280 million Instagram followers to register to vote — leading to a near-immediate surge of 35,000 registrations.
The pop star has since become a billionaire, thanks to record-breaking ticket sales of her global Eras Tour, and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year in December.
Since Swift began dating Kelce last year, her frequent appearances on camera during Chiefs games have incensed some of the NFL’s large conservative-leaning fanbase who feel that it distracts from the game.
Kelce has also faced criticism after he endorsed Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, sparking a war of words with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers — who dubbed Kelce “Mr. Pfizer.” Kelce also appeared in an advertisement for Bud Light following its disastrous partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Swift’s appearances have had a real impact on NFL merch sales, with some 16% of US shoppers admitting the pop star influenced them to spend money on football ahead of the Super Bowl, according to a recent survey.
Gen Zers were the most likely to say Swift influenced their football-related card charges, LendingTree reported, with 39% of the 11-to-26-year-olds in the generation admitting that Swift convinced them into making a football purchase.
Swift has largely stayed out of politics but caught then-president Donald Trump’s attention in 2018 when she endorsed a Democrat Phil Bredesen against Republican Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee, where Swift owns two homes.
“I’m sure Taylor Swift has nothing or doesn’t know anything about her,” Trump said in response at the time. “And let’s say I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now, OK?”
Swift eventually endorsed President Biden in the 2020 election.
Donald Trump’s campaign staff is reportedly discussing strategies for a potential Swift endorsement of Biden in the upcoming election, sources close to the former president told Rolling Stone.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday she could not respond when she was asked about Swift teaming up with Biden for the incumbent president’s 2024 campaign, citing federal laws.
“As you know, there’s something called the Hatch Act, so I certainly can not speak to anything that is related to 2024 in the upcoming election,” Jean-Pierre told CNN’s John Berman in response to rumors that Biden could make an appearance on Swift’s Eras tour.
She notably did not deny the whispers.
The 1939 Hatch Act prohibits executive branch employees from using “official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.”
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
NY Times
