In 2020, singer Taylor Swift wanted to be on the “right side of history” and left unequivocal support for Joe Biden and harsh criticism of Donald Trump. Four years later, the pop star remains silent on the US presidential election, which will take place on November 5. However, her recent friendship with a well-known Donald Trump supporter has fans on edge. depth of your political convictions.

On Sunday, Taylor Swift attended the US Open final alongside her football player boyfriend Travis Kelce in New York. The couple watched the game with Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany Mahomes, with whom Swift was seen sharing a seemingly friendly hugThe moment put an end to rumors that the two were back-to-back. The speculation began after the two watched the Chiefs’ opening game in the NFL, the professional American football league, in separate boxes, when they are usually seen together.

But how important is Brittany Mahomes to Swift’s political life? Mahomes is an American football player who became famous for being the wife of attacking player Patricio Mahomes. However, his public life has been marked by some controversial moments. In March 2023, his brother-in-law, Jackson Mahomes, was accused of sexual abuse by a woman who said he had tried to kiss her without her consent.

The following month, when a follower on Instagram asked her about the comments about her brother-in-law, Brittany replied that they were “ignorant.”He’s just a human, trying to live his life. And until you have to walk in his shoes, you have no right to say shit about him,” he wrote in a historyShe added: “It’s better to keep quiet.” At the time, Mahomes and Swift did not have any kind of public relationship, but over the past year they have been seen together on several occasions.

This month, Mahomes was questioned again on social media after liking a post praising Donald Trump’s policies and also liking a comment on one of his posts that read “Trump-Vance 2024.” Using the storiesMahomes criticized those who questioned him: “There’s no reason for them to have a fully developed brain and hate to see other people succeed.”

Faced with the apparent show of support, Donald Trump was quick to react.I want to thank the beautiful Brittany Mahomes for standing up for me so strongly.. (…) it’s good to see someone who loves our country and wants to save it from condemnation. What a great couple,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

I want to thank the beautiful Brittany Mahomes for standing up for me so strongly and for the fact that MAGA is the largest and most powerful political movement in the history of our now failed country. With crime and illegal immigration totally out of control, INFLATION ravaging all of us…

— Donald J. Trump’s posts on his social truth (@TrumpDailyPosts) September 4, 2024

The Democratic record of American Miss

The closeness between Mahomes and Trump surprised Swift’s fans: the fast — who recalled his statements from 2020, in the documentary American MissIn one of the scenes, the singer comments with her father the The weight of responsibility as a celebrity. take a political stance, specifically against Donald Trump.I need to be on the right side of history. And if it wins, at least I tried.“It’s important to me. I need to do this,” Swift says through tears in the documentary, highlighting her beliefs in women’s rights.

Months later, Swift again highlighted these priorities, stating that she was going to vote for Joe Biden. “The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that racialized people deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be recognized and included,” she said at the time, in an interview with V Magazine.I will proudly vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in this year’s presidential election.“Under your leadership, I believe America has the opportunity to begin the healing process it desperately needs.”

Fans took to social media to note the discrepancy between the Taylor of 2020, a feminist activist, and the one of 2024, who lives happily with Donald Trump supporters. Whether it was out of indifference to her friends’ political beliefs or a sudden liking for the Republican candidate, some fast They described the change of attitude as “hypocritical.”

We as speedsters must call Taylor out for being a hypocrite and a performative activist. She creates and makes a big deal out of being an activist in Miss Americana and then surrounds herself with Trumpies and predators. I am so disappointed in her. pic.twitter.com/Fos82yPalN

—??????????????? ??????????????? (@hiyaitsniya) September 8, 2024

If Taylor Swift continues to support Brittany Mahomes, then she is also supporting Brittany Mahomes’ political views. Because of Taylor Swift’s celebrity status, she is inherently involved and therefore complicit in dangerous policies that triumph against the very ones she wanted to oppose in Miss Americana https://t.co/2JKRYIshEJ

—Tessa (@_her_midnights) September 5, 2024

Do celebrity votes count more?

The desire for public support from one of pop’s biggest stars is coming from Republicans to Democrats. In August, Donald Trump used artificial intelligence to accept an endorsement from Swift that never happened. Kamala Harris, on the other hand, is gathering a line-up of pop stars, including Ariana Grande, Charli XCX and, indirectly, Beyoncé. But Swift is keeping quiet. It was even speculated that the singer might appear at the Democratic National Convention, to show his support, given the closeness to the previous campaign, but this never happened.

Donald Trump shares AI-generated photos “accepting” Taylor Swift’s endorsement

A Harvard University study explores the The real weight that celebrities can have in an electoral raceFor NPR, author Ashley Spillane explains that celebrities “increase engagement, increase attention and conversations.” “No matter the political party, there is a real hunger to affiliate with celebrities who can do this,” she argues, citing statements of support from Oprah Winfrey for Barack Obama or Frank Sinatra for Ronald Reagan.

The endorsement from celebrities (and crown jewel Taylor Swift) may not change the final results of the November 5 election, but it is compelling enough for candidates to fight for it and try to break Swift’s silence. Until then, fans can enjoy the break. Tour of the ages to join ranks and discuss politics on social media between #SwiftiesforTrump and #SwiftiesforKamala.