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Donald Trump’s allies in US politics and conservative media outlets are worried that the 2024 presidential election could swing in favor of Joe Biden, the world’s most famous pop star. He is launching a conspiracy-fueled rhetorical attack on Taylor Swift.
Attacks on Swift by the right have escalated sharply in recent days, making one of America’s most successful cultural icons a target on the front lines of the country’s bitter political culture wars.
One of the obvious triggers for the outrage from President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement was that Swift appeared on a field in Baltimore on Sunday after his American football team, the Kansas City Chiefs, won a spot. She made the decision to cheer, hug and kiss her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, above. This season’s Super Bowl.
And on Monday, the New York Times published an article suggesting Swift is Biden’s re-election campaign’s “largest and most influential endorsement target.”
Among the accusations against Swift by some Trump supporters were claims that she was part of a conspiracy (which also involved the National Football League) to keep Biden in the White House.
“I’m curious to see who will win next month’s Super Bowl,” Vivek Ramaswami, a biotech investor who ran for the Republican presidential nomination but is now backing Trump, wrote on X. Let’s aim to be a healthy couple this fall. ”
Although Swift’s music and performances are not considered particularly political, she has previously sided with the Democratic Party on behalf of women’s rights and opposition to white supremacy. She also urged her mostly young and female fan base to vote in the election.
She supported Democratic candidates in the 2018 Tennessee Senate race, supported Biden in the 2020 general election, and supported Biden in the 2020 documentary. miss americana He said it was “sad” that he was unable to show his opposition to President Trump in 2016. In her film she tells her family, “They’re not your dad’s Republicans.”
President Trump has not commented on Swift recently, but his aides have been quick to mock both the pop star and Biden.
“They’re calling it a Hail Mary pass to drag Biden to the finish line,” Caroline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the former president’s 2024 campaign, told a conservative radio host.
“This woman has made a career out of writing songs about picking the wrong guy. We shouldn’t believe she’ll pick the wrong guy this presidential election.”
Other attacks were directed at Swift’s fans as well as the singer.
“They’re making her into an idol, an idolatry,” said Newsmax host Greg Kelly. “And you shouldn’t do that. In fact, if you look it up in the Bible, it’s a sin. That’s why I don’t like it. And I’m also forgetting about this new boyfriend. ”
The right’s outrage over Swift is an example of “the polarizing malaise that is dividing the country,” said Henry CW Lawrence, dean of Bowdoin College’s government department.
“And more importantly, it shows that there are people who use all kinds of wedges to create some sort of artificial division that doesn’t need to exist,” he added.
Mr. Biden’s advisers are trying to use the controversy to paint an extreme picture of Mr. Biden’s opponents.
“As far as she has told us about her politics, really, is that she is not hateful,” Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s former White House communications director, wrote on X. “She’s defending the rights of women and the LGBTQ community. That’s it. She’s not attacking the estate tax platform,” she said, referring to one of Washington’s leading conservative think tanks. he added.
But Democrats also hope Swift will emerge as a powerful outside force to help Biden win re-election at a time when Biden needs significant help to rouse enthusiasm within his base and among younger voters. You’re probably looking forward to it. The couple has become a phenomenon, creating pop culture crossovers and having fans salivating for new photos and sightings on social media. Their combination also brought a large number of Swifties, known as her fans, into her NFL world for the first time.
American companies have also jumped on the hype — American Airlines, for example, announced a February 9 flight from Kansas City to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl, named after the couple’s shared birth year and Swift’s album title. I planned it on the 10th.
Kelce has drawn ire on the right for appearing in ads for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and Bud Light. Last year, some conservatives boycotted the beer after a promotion featuring transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
“I hope the Biden campaign can figure out a way to talk Taylor Swift out of the nest,” Jon Lovett said. pod save america, a podcast run by former Barack Obama officials. “But it’s also on Taylor Swift. You’ve built up a lot of goodwill. Time to spend it. Your country needs you.”
Swift’s label, Universal Music Group, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the artist. An NFL spokesperson said, “Football is for everyone. Enjoy the game.”
Additional reporting by Sara Germano in New York