KANSAS CITY, Mo. – If you stand in a crowd of Kansas City Chiefs fans outside Arrowhead Stadium on game day, you might think the NFL asked Taylor Swift to perform an early season halftime show.
The Chiefs’ home stadium is frenzied during pre-game tailgates, as supporters barbecue, blare hip-hop and talk strategy and star players. But among seas of people in red, white and gold merch, flags and signs with Swift’s name also wave in the breeze. You’ll often hear more about the musician than her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
And as the 2024 presidential election approaches, you’ll also hear about Swift’s seismic endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Swift’s support was by far the most coveted endorsement of election season. She fueled months of anticipation as liberal Swifties organized – and conspiracy theories about her public persona cropped up among parts of the right.
Swift’s connection to the NFL has represented American fandom at its peak: Football; pop music and, for the last few months, political speculation about when she would formally endorse the Democratic nominee.
Moments after Harris and former President Donald Trump’s debate, Swift backed the vice president in an Instagram post to her 284 million followers, calling her “a steady-handed, gifted leader.”
The cultural and financial juggernaut didn’t mention Trump, except to call out fake images of her supporting him, which the former president reposted on Truth Social. She signed her Tuesday statement as a “childless cat lady,” a reference to Sen. JD Vance’s comments about people without children.
Swift’s attendance at football games has always sparked controversy, with some fans saying she draws attention to the sport and others calling the songwriter a distraction. Endorsing a presidential candidate didn’t make Swift a less contentious presence at the Chiefs’ Sunday game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which they narrowly won.
Sheena Bryant, a 38-year-old realtor from Branson, Missouri, spent Sunday afternoon tailgating outside Arrowhead Stadium. She’s a Republican but said she enjoys Swift’s music.
“I wasn’t a big fan of (Swift’s endorsement,)” Bryant said. She believes everyone has a right to endorse either party, but she’s hopeful Republicans can notch victories this fall and act on abortion and the southern border.
“Hopefully her followers will ask deeper level questions of why they’re supporting,” Bryant said, explaining that she thinks young women, a pivotal voting bloc this fall, could be particularly persuaded by Swift.
Chiefs fans also had plenty to say about Swift’s friendship with Brittany Mahomes, the businesswoman and wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. While Brittany Mahomes hasn’t publicly endorsed a 2024 candidate, she drew attention after appearing to like a MAGA Instagram post last month.
Chiefs fans on Sunday said friends with different political positions should respect each other. Jason Schuler, a 46 year old from Kansas City who works in development with children with disabilities, said “that’s what this country’s lost.”
“If my buddy over here has a difference of opinion with me, which we often do, it doesn’t mean that he’s wrong or I’m wrong,” Schuler said.
Trump and Vance tried to shake off Swift’s endorsement last week. Vance told Fox News Swift’s wealth makes her “fundamentally disconnected” from most Americans.
Trump in a Sunday morning post on Truth Social to his 7.7 million followers said, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!”
The former president also warned in an interview with Fox last week that Swift could “pay a price” for her statement among music consumers.
But if you walk around Arrowhead Stadium’s wide concourses on game day, you’ll see a clear sign Swift’s fans haven’t abandoned her: Friendship bracelets.
‘Thank you Taylor’
Friendship bracelets became the signature Swiftie accessory during her record-breaking Eras Tour. They’re a reference to Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own Kid,” in which she sings “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.”
Lauren Burwell, a 33-year-old director of a youth behavioral mental health program, sat outside Arrowhead Stadium waiting for a friend before the Chiefs game. She wore friendship bracelets referencing the Chiefs, but also Swift’s song “Betty” and her album “The Tortured Poets Department.”
She said she loved Swift’s endorsement and reposted it on Instagram.
“The best thing about her is that she just wants people to vote and just do their research. So when I saw that, my first thought was ‘Thank you Taylor,’” Burwell said.
Ryann Williams and Hilary Embry sat near a bar inside Arrowhead Stadium after kickoff. They called themselves “big fans” of Swift’s endorsement.
Asked about Trump’s post saying he hates Swift, Williams called it “really childish.” But both women said they feared Swift could face violence as the former president’s escalates his insults against her.
