The budding love story featuring music superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce took an unexpected turn into the world of political conspiracy theories this week after the team advanced to the Super Bowl.
Myriad baseless rumors emerged on social media — everything from claims that Swift has played a part in Pentagon psychological operations to the idea that she and her two-time Super Bowl champion boyfriend are key assets in a secret plot to help President Biden get reelected in 2024. Another variant: That the Chiefs’ success was rigged as part of the plan for the game on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas.
Political and media figures on the right, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, political activist Laura Loomer and One America News Network host Alison Steinberg, have amplified the allegations.
Mike Crispi, a major pro-Trump broadcast personality, said on X, formerly Twitter, that “The NFL is totally RIGGED for the Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, Mr. Pfizer (Travis Kelce). All to spread DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA. Calling it now: KC wins, goes to Super Bowl, Swift comes out at the halftime show and ‘endorses’ Joe Biden with Kelce at midfield. It’s all been an op since day one.”
Wasim Khaled, the CEO of Blackbird AI, a company that monitors disinformation, told CBS News these conspiracy-minded narratives “typically start to simmer [in] the dark web, and kind of the fringes and underbelly of the internet. … And then at some point, they gain traction around other events that are gaining people’s attention. In this case, it was the Super Bowl.”
In his company’s tracking, he said, “We really see that spread, and we can really see a narrative evolve grow, and become more harmful over time.”
The claims are ludicrous and may well reflect the fear on the right that someone as famous as Swift, whose landmark Eras Tour is the first tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, could indeed influence the presidential race should she urge her legion of fans in one direction.
How much would a Swift endorsement help Biden?
Pop culture and politics have long been entwined. The entertainment industry has been a deep well of political contributions. And candidates often turn to the celebrity of stars to try to add to their own allure.
