Taylor Swift may have shaken off a lot in her career, including breakups, snake emojis, and the Kanye drama. However, her latest PR hiccup has left even her most loyal fans feeling a little icky. It all started when the singer accompanied her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, to an event in Tennessee, and went downhill from there.
The 35-year-old pop queen made headlines this week after performing at Tight End University, the football-centric event hosted by her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce, in Nashville, Tennessee. While her surprise acoustic rendition of Shake It Off had Taylor Swift fans cheering online, it was what happened after the show that got people talking, and not in a good way.
A photo snapped backstage is now making the rounds, showing Taylor and Travis casually flexing alongside Bussin’ With The Boys podcasters Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. While that might not seem scandalous on the surface, Swift’s fans quickly put two and two together and realized that these aren’t just any podcasters. They’re known MAGA supporters, and that’s where the drama begins.
To be fair, the pic itself is harmless on the surface. It features the four people standing side-by-side, flexing for the camera with serious faces. However, for a star who has meticulously crafted her image and been vocal in recent years about her political leanings, including publicly endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the choice of company raised more than a few eyebrows.
Taylor Swift Angers Fans With MAGA Photo
Reddit lit up quickly with criticism for Swift’s actions.
“But Taylor is a feminist icon right,” one person commented.
“It shows poor character,” another chimed in.
“This is a choice I do not love. Or like. Or respect,” a third person wrote.
“These are not random dudes. They are known and have a platform. She went incognito for months so she chooses when she wants to be photographed. Taylor is okay with being associated with these guys,” a fourth person commented.
To be clear, neither Swift nor Kelce has commented publicly on the photo or the backlash. But for some fans, the image was enough to cast doubt on the pop icon’s authenticity. After all, this is the same woman who literally made a Netflix documentary (Miss Americana) partly about her stepping into her political voice. So why, fans ask, is she now posing with people who have proudly posted videos shaking hands with Donald Trump and called him “47”?
Swift and the MAGA Bros Cause Controversy
Of course, not everyone is outraged. Some fans came to her defense, pointing out that being in a room (or a photo) with someone doesn’t necessarily mean you co-sign their entire belief system. “She endorsed Kamala and got s**t from MAGA so really… it’s just a question of being out in the world and interacting with people who also exist,” one Swiftie commented.
Still, the moment has fueled an online war between fans trying to rationalize her choices and critics accusing her of hypocrisy. Some even called her a “complicit queen,” while others couldn’t stomach watching Swift stans perform what they called “mental gymnastics” to justify her flexing with alleged MAGA bros.
Will this moment leave a permanent stain on Taylor Swift and her rep? Probably not. She’s survived worse. But in the court of public opinion, especially on the internet, perception is everything. And in this era of hyper-political awareness, who you pose with can sometimes speak louder than your lyrics. It seems that this Tennessee hook-up may come back to bite her.
Casey James 
Kaitlyn Alexandra 
Sofia Bassett 
