Travis Kelce may have fumbled the PR game ahead of the Super Bowl. At a press conference on February 5, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end responded to news that Donald Trump would attend the game, making history as the first sitting president to do so. Kelce’s take? He kept it polite.
“No matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life,” he said. Then, he added: “It’s a great honor. Having the president there—it’s the best country in the world—and that’s pretty cool.”
If he thought he was playing it safe, Swifties thought otherwise. Trump’s long history of attacking Taylor Swift didn’t go unnoticed. In September, the former president posted “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on Truth Social. He wasn’t done. His campaign used AI-generated images portraying Swift as a Trump supporter in a cheap stunt ahead of the 2024 election.
Fans dragged Kelce on social media. One X user wrote, “Fence-sitting to please the media and public for a man that has directly attacked your girlfriend is lamee.” Another added, “If my boyfriend says it’s a great honor to have the man that slanders me constantly, I’d break up with him immediately.”
The backlash was swift (pun intended), but not unanimous.
Kelce loyalists stepped up. One supporter posted, “He’s made it clear where he stands multiple times, and one sh—y PR-approved answer isn’t going to change that.” Another defended him with, “Y’all spin everything in a negative way. You don’t have to like Trump to understand what Travis meant.”
Taylor Swift wants to keep the spotlight on Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs
Taylor Swift doesn’t want to steal the show on Super Bowl Sunday. According to a report from The Sun, she’s got concerns that her presence might overshadow Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs’ moment. The source stated, “She doesn’t want to be the center of attention. She just wants to support Travis and help him focus on the game.”
The couple reportedly has a strong give-and-take dynamic, knowing when to support each other’s careers without distraction. The source added, “They know when to step back for each other so they can focus and be fully prepared.”
Given how much attention Swift drew at regular season games, it’s no wonder she’s cautious. Media coverage this season often treated her as the main event, with NBC even airing her more frequently than Donald Trump during his appearance at a Jets-Steelers game.
Donald Trump’s Super Bowl visit adds political tension
Donald Trump will attend the Super Bowl as a guest of New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson. His presence, unsurprisingly, is causing political friction. Trump has shown his love for the Kansas City Chiefs before. After their January win over the Buffalo Bills, he posted:
“Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs. What a GREAT Team, Coach, Quarterback, and virtually everything else, including those fantastic FANS, that voted for me (MAGA!) in record numbers.”
Meanwhile, Swift and Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, have both backed Kamala Harris in the past. Several Chiefs players, like Harrison Butker and James Winchester, have publicly supported Trump and the Republican Party. On the other hand, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie once described Trump’s first term as “disastrous” and snubbed a White House invite after their 2018 Super Bowl victory.
The Super Bowl, airing on Fox, will also feature Trump in a pregame interview with Bret Baier. Expect the cultural tension to escalate. Swift and Trump’s mere presence at the same event will likely spark even more discourse on America’s ongoing clash of politics, sports, and celebrity culture.
At this point, the Super Bowl isn’t just a football game. It’s a showdown of symbolism, power, and who controls the headlines.
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