Why the Right wing in America dislikes Taylor Swift

Right-wing conspiracy theorists have alleged that Swift’s relationship with Kelce is in fact a PR stunt, that her appearance at the February 11 final was a precursor to her endorsement of President Biden.

What are the conspiracy theories around Swift and the Democratic Party?

A popular conspiracy theory is that Swift is being used as a tool by the Pentagon to help Biden win reelection. The explanatory journalism website Vox noted a statement by Fox News host Jesse Watters on his show that “Swift could be part of a Pentagon operation that leverages her large online following to combat misinformation and to elevate Democrats’ political aims.”

This claim, the Vox report said, is based “on the smallest grain of truth, which is that Swift endorsed Biden in 2020 and is being courted by his campaign to do so again in 2024”.

Another conspiracy theory is that Swift and Kelce aren’t a real couple; their relationship is just a show to boost Biden’s chances in the election. According to this theory, the National Football League rigged games “so the couple can make a splashy endorsement (of Biden),” according to the Vox report.

Ahead of the game, Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the Republican primary race to endorse Trump, posted on X, “I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl… 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.”

Why does the right wing dislike Swift?

Swift began speaking up politically in 2018 when she endorsed Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, in the Senate race against Republican candidate Marsha Blackburn, calling her “Trump in a wig”. She has also criticised Trump’s leadership as “ineffective”.

Swift endorsed the Biden-Kamala Harris combination in 2020, and lent her song ‘Only the Young’ for the campaign. This angered many Republicans, who saw the endorsement as a desertion of her roots in country music.

In September last year, Swift urged her massive fan base to register to vote, directing them to the nonpartisan nonprofit Vote.org. “I’ve heard you raise your voices, and I know how powerful they are,” she wrote on Instagram. “Make sure you’re ready to use them in our elections this year!” The appeal was followed by 35,000 registrations.

Progressive commentators have also noted that Swift, a pro-choice, anti-Trump woman superstar with enormous cultural influence could trigger some Conservatives. Eric Conn, host of the ‘Hard Men’ podcast that aims to “reclaiming Biblical masculinity in a world of softness”, has targeted her as “a hyper-promiscuous, childless woman, aging and alone with a cat”, and mocked her as a “heroine of a feminist age”.

After reports suggested the Biden administration had sought her endorsement for the President for the 2024 run, lawyer Alina Habba, who represented Trump in the E Jean Caroll defamation case, wrote on X. “Who thinks this country needs a lot more women like Alina Habba, and a lot less like Taylor Swift?”

But can Taylor Swift swing an election?

There can be no straight answer to that. But fandom and political power are linked, and the army of Swift’s fans may increase the voter turnout, giving anyone she endorses an edge in some tight races.

However, Swift’s music is also loved by Conservatives who could be expected to vote Republican in normal circumstances. While the Right has urged her to “stick to the music” and stay away from politics, others see her as a figure who could occupy at least a part of the small middle ground in deeply polarised America.