Bill Maher warned MAGA Republicans on Friday to back off their frenzied fury against Taylor Swift, amid strange claims that the singer and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, are part of a vast government conspiracy to consolidate power around Joe Biden.
During a segment with NBC sportscaster Bob Costas and critic Caitlin Flanagan about Super Bowl LVII, the HBO host said that although he’d resisted speaking about Taylor Swift, even he had to admit the power she wields ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“This is a national news story in the sense that, this is a person that could literally swing the election,” Maher said. “I don’t know what that says about this country, but, I would just say to the MAGA people, you should be very careful attacking her because this is someone who transcends parties,” he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
Maher said Swift’s background is part of what grants her broad appeal, and should also, according to his logic, be a reason that those on the far-right ought to embrace the superstar.
“I mean this is a country girl, right? Her first, she started out as a country artist,” he said. “[Swift] is a white girl from Pennsylvania, I think, grew up on a farm, right?”
“Never had a black boyfriend! I’m just saying,” he said, putting his hands up defensively. “There’s time,” Costas cried from his seat. “There’s time,” Maher admitted. “She’s just had a lot of boyfriends that we all know about, you know? If MAGA’s full of racists they gotta like that! I mean, she’s finally dated an NFL [player], it’s 80 percent Black, she couldn’t find one there?” In 2022, 56 percent of the NFL was made up of African Americans.
The HBO host went on to explain that for Swift to swing the election, she doesn’t need to go so far as endorsing President Biden or even criticizing Donald Trump.
“Trump’s people are already registered and voting for him. Her voters, perhaps, are not registered at all. She doesn’t have to say who she’s voting for, all she has to say is get registered. They know who she’s voting for.”
“She’s not changing minds, it’s turn-out,” Costas agreed.
That’s precisely why Republicans need to be afraid, Maher concluded. “So, I think you could be awaking a sleeping—until the afternoon—giant, here,” he said.
