Taylor Swift, currently on her current world tour “Eras Tour”, continues to break records in the music industry.
But her personal life, and in particular her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, is causing a stir in right-wing circles on social media.
Among other things, the platform X has been flooded with discussions about Swift’s popularity and political affiliations, but also for the role of spectator at NFL games when Kelce plays.
Alleged state intrigue
After the Kansas City Chiefs clinched the AFC Championship, securing a spot in the Super Bowl in February, speculation has surfaced that weaves together Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce — and “deep state” allegations.
Among other things, several right-wing profiles claim that the relationship is part of a conspiracy to generate greater support for President Joe Biden in the 2024 US presidential election.
One proponent of the theory is former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is known for his support of Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
“Who will win the Super Bowl next month? I wonder if there will be significant support for the president from an artificial, culturally constructed couple this fall. Just some wild speculation here, let’s see how it matures over the next eight months,” writes he.
Another is aimed directly at the San Fransisco 49ers, who face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
“Biden’s second term will cause World War III and millions will die. The fate of the free world rests on your shoulders. No pressure,” writes right-wing influencer Rogan O’Handley X.
O’Handley and Ramaswamy were not the only far-rights to suggest that Swift was part of a left-wing conspiracy. Far-right Laura Loomer signed X that “the Democrats’ Taylor Swift meddling in the election is out in the open… They will use Taylor Swift as the poster name for their pro-abortion GOTV campaign.”
“An apocalyptic chain”
Far-right influencer Rogan O’Handley went so far as to suggest that Swift and Kelce would set off an apocalyptic chain of events that would kill millions — if the Chiefs win the Finals.
“You HAVE to beat the Chiefs,” O’Handley wrote in an X post.
“World War III will likely break out in Biden’s second term, and millions will die. The fate of the free world rests on your shoulders,” he further wrote in the post.
The researcher: Can lead to acts of terrorism
Andreas Jahrehorn Önnerfors, professor of the history of ideas at Linnaeus University, is not at all surprised that similar conspiracy theories gain a foothold in society.
– Unfortunately, it is something we have had to get used to – regardless of how dangerous it is for democracy, says Önnerfors to TV4 Nyheterna.
– Our public conversation is currently so derailed that people find themselves in parallel universes of meaning-making. It becomes increasingly difficult to sift between true and false, especially when the stories are so loaded with value judgments or even refer to the devil himself, he continues.
Andreas Jahrehorn Önnerfors believes that in such a polarized climate as it is right now in the US as the presidential election approaches, these ideas will only continue to increase.
– It is unbelievable that American influencers but also politicians seriously claim and spread that the “deep state” can rig everything from the Superbowl to Taylor Swift’s career just to troll the Americans.
– But it is borderline delusional to believe that Taylor Swift is Satan’s emissary who supports Biden. It feels overwhelming to clear these thoughts and return to a normal conversation climate. At worst, this talk can lead to acts of terrorist violence.