Trump slams Swift, prompting other politicians to come out as Swifties
Updated February 11, 2024 at 9:15 PM ET
Hours ahead of Super Bowl kickoff, as social media buzzed with game predictions and Traylor memes, former president Donald Trump weighed in with a Taylor Swift take of his own:
"There's no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money," Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon.
Trump was referring to himself, since he "signed and was responsible for" the Music Modernization Act.
Trump's role in the Music Modernization Act
The 2018 legislation constituted a sweeping reform to copyright law, updating royalty and licensing rules to better support musicians in the streaming age. It was years in the making, and passed both the House and Senate unanimously.
"Joe Biden didn't do anything for Taylor, and never will," Trump wrote.
Dina LaPolt, one of the attorneys behind the MMA, argued that Trump didn't either — she told Variety on Sunday that he "did nothing on our legislation except sign it."
Trump's appeal to Swift comes after weeks of speculation in conservative circles about whether the pop star will endorse Biden in his reelection bid, as she did in 2020.
Right-wing politicians and media outlets have even theorized that the Super Bowl is rigged in favor of a Kansas City Chiefs win, to give Swift an even bigger platform for such an endorsement.
Not that she needs it: She drove more than 35,000 voters to register with a single Instagram post last year.
Trump didn't leave the Chiefs out of his post either, paying his compliments to tight end Travis Kelce (who has notably come under fire from conservatives for doing commercials for Pfizer vaccines and Bud Light).
"I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can't stand me!" Trump wrote.
Self-identified Swifties
Neither Swift nor Kelce's camps have commented publicly on Trump's plea. But politicians seized the moment to affirm their support for the singer — and knock Trump, too.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who has been openly critical of Trump, dismissed the Republican conspiracy theories as "outrageous" in a Sunday interview with NBC's Meet the Press.
"Look, Taylor Swift is one of the great American success stories. We should be celebrating her, not having all these crazy conspiracy theories," said Christie, who challenged Trump in the Republican primary. "But this is the kind of thing that Donald Trump brings about."
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer took to X (formerly Twitter) to formally announce that he's a Swiftie, offering his favorite "deep cut" to prove it: "White Horse" from her 2008 album Fearless.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who described himself as a lifelong Chiefs fan, said he "couldn't be happier" to see Swift cheering them on.
"And to the MAGA Republicans who have decided that a strong independent woman like Taylor is a threat: You need to calm down," he said, referencing not one but two of her hits. "No need for bad blood!" [Copyright 2024 NPR]
