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Donald Trump has seemingly shut down rumors of a feud between himself and pop star Taylor Swift.
During a Super Bowl party at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Financial Times journalist Jemima Kelly asked the former president what he really thinks of the singer. According to Kelly, Trump described Swift as "nice" before walking away, suggesting his reported animosity towards the singer has been overblown.
Newsweek has reached out to Taylor Swift and Donald Trump for comment via email.
Swift is rumored to be backing Joe Biden in the 2024 general election after previously backing the president in 2020.
As one of the biggest stars in the world right now, her influence could extend to the ballot and potentially sway the result towards any candidate she endorses.
Swift has a devoted fan base, with an exclusive poll conducted by Redfield and Wilton Strategies on behalf of Newsweek finding that 18 percent of voters were "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a candidate supported by Swift.
In September, the Grammy winner encouraged her 272 million Instagram followers to register to vote, signposting to the non-partisan Vote.org. That same day, the site received over 35,000 registrations, according to the organization—its highest number since 2020.
Although she avoided talking politics early in her career, in recent years, Swift has been a vocal advocate for progressive causes such as abortion rights, female empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights, along with supporting Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee.
Her political views have angered Trump fans, with MAGA conspiracy theorists claiming Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, are secretly working to get Biden re-elected.
One theory claims that Swift and Kelce, who went public with their romance in September, are not really dating and that the Chiefs' 25-22 Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers was rigged to give liberals a PR boost.
Kelly said Trump didn't seem to favor one side over the other during the game, showing no response when either team scored.
However, she did catch the former president pointing at Swift on screen while whispering to Stephen Moore, who worked as a senior economic adviser during Trump's 2016 campaign run.
Trump hasn't publicly commented on the conspiracy theory but posted about Swift on Truth Social shortly before kickoff, writing:
"I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists. Joe Biden didn't do anything for Taylor, and never will."
Enacted in October 2018, The Music Modernization Act updated copyright legislation for the digital age, making the law more fair for artists and songwriters while simplifying licensing agreements for streamers.
The act helps to ensure creators are paid fairly for their contributions, as well as closing legal loopholes and implementing a clear process for settling legal disputes.
"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 said before praising Swift's beau.
"Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis," he added. "Even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can't stand me!"
Update 2/29/24, 7:52 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more