Donald Trump’s allies are reportedly plotting a “holy war” against Taylor Swift, reports Rolling Stone, amid a conspiracy theory involving the pop star, her NFL boyfriend Travis Kelce, and President Joe Biden.
Ahead of an election that could see Trump once again go head to head with Biden, Republicans are suggesting that the biggest pop star in the world is at the centre of a psyop aimed at keeping Biden in the White House.
The conspiracy theory has even reached the Super Bowl, which is widely considered to be one of the biggest sporting events of the year in the US.
But what is the Super Bowl conspiracy and how is Taylor Swift involved?
Could Taylor Swift endorse Biden?
The New York Times reported that Swift is on Biden’s wish list of potential surrogates (people who publicly endorse political figures or parties).
And it’s no surprise, as Swift’s influence is unmatched: Time’s Person of the Year 2023 has broken several records in the past year, with her Eras Tour and the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
She also has 279 million followers on Instagram, a platform where she rallied more than 35,000 people to register to vote.
While she openly backed Biden and Harris in 2020, and previously endorsed Democratic candidates in 2018, Swift has not yet publicly spoken about the 2024 election.
Despite this, Rolling Stone reported that Trump believes he is more popular than Swift and has more fans than she does.
His campaign senior adviser Jason Miller told the outlet: “Joe Biden might be counting on Taylor Swift to save him, but voters are looking at these sky-high inflation rates and saying, ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’.”
What is the Super Bowl conspiracy theory about?
Swift has been closely linked to the NFL (National Football League) in recent months, due to her romance with tight end Travis Kelce. She has attended a number of games, receiving backlash from football fans upset with how often the cameras cut to her.
Now, Republicans are pushing a conspiracy theory that suggests the NFL’s Super Bowl, which takes place on February 11, has been rigged to ensure that the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers.
They believe that a win for the Chiefs – and more crucially – Swift’s boyfriend Kelce, will result in an appearance on the pitch from Swift, where they believe that she will endorse Biden for president.
Kelce has already been under fire from the Republicans for promoting Pfizer’s Covid vaccine and beer brand Bud Light, the latter of which angered right-wing Americans when it collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Among the Republican figures pushing the theory is former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
“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,” he said on X.
“Just some wild speculation over here, let’s see how it ages over the next 8 months.”
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.
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 29, 2024
Which Republicans have attacked Swift?
Republicans are set to amp up the culture war surrounding Swift, framing her as a Democrat elite.
Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba reposted an Instagram post to her Stories, which asked: “Who thinks this country needs a lot more women like Alina Habba, and a lot less like Taylor Swift?”
Fox News Host Sean Hannity also speculated about Swift endorsing Biden.
“Does Taylor realise the guy that they want her to endorse is a kind of stumbling, bumbling mess, doesn’t have the energy to even give a 30-minute speech, let alone perform a three-hour concert like she does?” he asked.
“He also is kind of very creepy. She may want to check out those creepy videos, they’re online.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has dismissed the conspiracy theory. A spokesperson for the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, said in a statement, “as for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off," referencing one of Swift's biggest hits.
