Conservative attacks build on Taylor Swift after Chiefs win

(NewsNation) — Since Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs won their ticket to the Super Bowl, wild conspiracy theories are circulating about Taylor Swift, who is dating Kelce, her potential influence on the 2024 election and the possibility of a rigged Super Bowl.

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy kicked off the conspiracy chatter Monday, suggesting that the Super Bowl could be rigged to promote Swift’s endorsement for President Joe Biden. Ramaswamy’s remarks were quickly followed by a flurry of commentary, with Fox News cautioning Swift to stay out of the 2024 election and avoid alienating her fan base.

On Newsmax, a conservative news network, one host took the Taylor Swift chatter to the level of obsession, decrying what he termed the “idolatry” surrounding her and claiming it is sinful. Meanwhile, on One America News Network, host Alison Steinberg labeled Swift’s relationship with Kelce a psychological operation (psyop), characterizing the entire spectacle as “bread and circuses on steroids.”

Conservative columnist Matt Lewis, a guest on “Dan Abrams Live,” noted that these attacks had been building for some time. He mentioned a previous Fox News piece by Jesse Watters alleging Swift’s connection to what Watters called the “deep state.”

The recent surge in interest, according to Lewis, stems from Swift and Kelce’s prominence during the Chiefs’ journey to the Super Bowl.

Lewis said that the overarching narrative suggests Swift’s influence could be leveraged to sway public opinion and hinder the reelection of Donald Trump. Swift endorsed Biden in the 2020 election.

A recent Newsweek poll found that an endorsement from Swift would have the greatest impact on younger voters. Roughly three in 10 Americans younger than 35 said they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate backed by Swift. Only 4 percent of Americans 65 and older said they’d be swayed by a Swift endorsement.

“She’s incredibly powerful. There’s a reason to fear her if you want Donald Trump to win. She sent out one Instagram post that got 35,000 people registered,” Lewis said.

Despite the outlandish nature of these theories, Lewis acknowledged that Swift’s endorsement does hold some political weight.

“In the case of Taylor Swift, she is by far the most not just famous, but popular, beloved, personality in America today,” Lewis said. “I believe that she has the power with social media, to not necessarily persuade people, but I would say register new voters, especially even young women who weren’t even eligible to vote in 2020.”

As the 2024 election nears, the Biden campaign is focusing on winning some key endorsements.