US Pop Culture, Politics, and Conspiracies: The Bizarre Claims Around Taylor Swift's Love Story

The love story of US pop sensation Taylor Swift and her American star footballer boyfriend Travis Kelce has been caught in the world of right-wing conspiracy theories. US political and media figures on the right, including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have added fuel to the fire.

When Kelce’s team Kansas City advanced to the championship game of the National Football League (NFL), dozens of claims emerged on social media, everything from Swift’s link to psychological operations by the US government to the idea that she and her boyfriend are key assets in a “secret plot” to help Joe Biden get reelected in 2024.

US Presidential race

Political experts argue that right-wing claims may reflect the fear that someone as famous as Swift could indeed influence the US presidential race should she urge her legion of fans in one direction. In America, pop culture and politics have long been entwined and the entertainment industry has been a deep well of political contributions.

Candidates often try to draft on the celebrity of stars to add to their allure. The potency of the impact is less clear. In Swift’s case, there is some proof that she can at minimum generate more voter registration. In September, Swift posted a short message on her Instagram account encouraging her 272 million followers to register to vote. The post led to more than 35,000 registrations on the nonpartisan nonprofit Vote.org.

Swift’s powerful fanbase

An SSRS poll conducted in October 2023 found that about 6 in 10 US adults called themselves at least casual fans of the singer, with 8% saying they’re big fans. The poll also found that 8 in 10 US adults said they had heard of her relationship with Kelce and the majority of those familiar with it considered it a real relationship, rather than a publicity stunt.

“Pop culture people identify with this stuff, they pay attention to it. And that’s what moves politics now. It’s attention and identity,” Joel Penney, an associate professor at Montclair State University whose research includes the intersection of politics and pop culture, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. Notably, Donald Trump’s improbable march to the presidency in 2016 was propelled in part by the stardom he gained in decades as a reality television star.

‘Political battles’

Penney sees the recent deluge of posts aimed at Swift as an attempt to blunt her impact by discrediting her. She said Swift’s influence could prove a difficult force to contend with, especially if she publicly supports Biden, as she did in the 2020 race. “Young people are fighting their political battles through a language drawn from pop culture,” said Henry Jenkins, a professor at the University of Southern California who also studies politics and pop culture. “That’s what connects them. That’s what they’re engaged with.”

Both Swift and Kelce have made public statements about politics and other issues that put them at odds with the far-right. In 2020, Swift endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview with V Magazine, noting that “under their leadership, I believe America has a chance to start the healing process it so desperately needs.” Kelce faced criticism in September for appearing in an ad promoting the double dose of the flu and Covid-19 vaccines. The ad was part of a partnership with Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company that has since become a common mark for anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists.

(With agency inputs)