Almost 1 in 5 Americans — 18% — believe that singer Taylor Swift is involved in a clandestine federal effort to see President Joe Biden re-elected in 2024, per a new poll from Monmouth University in New Jersey. For months, members of the alt-right have spread unfounded conspiracy theories that Swift was attempting to control American politics through the NFL, given that her current boyfriend and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has now secured two back-to-back Super Bowl titles. Conservatives have also speculated that the relationship was fabricated by the government. Just last month, former Republicans presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy tweeted, "I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month. And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall. Just some wild speculation over here, let’s see how it ages over the next 8 months."
Monmouth University's poll noted that of the 18% of Americans who believe the baseless theory, 71% identify with or lean toward the GOP and 83% indicated that they were likely to support former president Donald Trump in the November election. Additionally, the poll observed that nearly three-quarters, or 73%, of those who believe the Swift theory to be true also believe that the 2020 presidential election outcome was bogus.
The study also clarified that of those who indicated that they believe the theory has merit, 42% had not heard of it prior to being contacted by the university. “The supposed Taylor Swift PsyOp conspiracy has legs among a decent number of Trump supporters," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. "Even many who hadn’t heard about it before we polled them accept the idea as credible. Welcome to the 2024 election."
NATIONAL POLL: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (18%) believe @TaylorSwift13 is part of a covert government effort to reelect @POTUS Biden.
— MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) February 14, 2024
Among this group, 71% identify with the GOP, 83% are likely to vote for Trump, and 73% believe Biden won 2020 by fraud.https://t.co/mH6T91uJn6