Nearly one in five Americans say they believe a false conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift is part of a plot to boost President Joe Biden as he seeks another term in office, according to a new poll.
The survey, released Wednesday by Monmouth University, found that 18% of Americans “think that a covert government effort for Taylor Swift to help Joe Biden win the presidential election actually exists,” according to the university.
In recent weeks, conspiracy theories have swirled around the Grammy Award winner, with some conservative commentators and other prominent Republicans speculating that Swift is some sort of Pentagon plant, ginned up by liberal forces while also boosting the fortunes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The team won the Super Bowl over the weekend, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Swift are currently in a relationship.
Among the survey respondents who said they believe the theory, 71% identify with or generally lean toward the Republican Party. Eighty-three percent said they plan to support former President Donald Trump in 2024’s general election.
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“The supposed Taylor Swift PsyOp conspiracy has legs among a decent number of Trump supporters. Even many who hadn’t heard about it before we polled them accept the idea as credible. Welcome to the 2024 election,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said Wednesday.
Nevertheless, the poll also found that approximately two-thirds, or 68%, of Americans say they approve of Swift encouraging her listeners to vote in the upcoming elections. Among Democrats, that number increases in 88%, and among Republicans, it drops to 42%.
Swift in 2020 endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and she has often encouraged her fans to make their own voices heard at the ballot box. Swift has also said she regrets not getting involved in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump won his first term.
The former presidentover the weekend issued an appeal to Swift not to endorse Biden in the 2024 presidential election, saying “Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will.”
The Monmouth University Poll was conducted from Feb. 8 to Feb. 12 among 902 adults in the United States. It has a margin of error of +/- 4.1 percentage points and was conducted via telephone.
