Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce sparked debate among fans after telling reporters that President Donald Trump's planned attendance at the Super Bowl would be a "great honor"—despite Trump's repeated attacks on his girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift.
He said:
“It’s a great honor. I think you know, no matter who the president is, I know I’m excited because it’s the biggest game of my life, you know, and having the president there — it’s the best country in the world — and that’s pretty cool.”
You can hear what he said in the video below.
The news Trump will attend the Super Bowl is striking, considering the angry outburst he had last year over Swift.
Before last year's Super Bowl, conservative conspiracists suggested that the NFLÂ rigged the season for Swift to attend, allegedly orchestrated by President Joe Biden and the CIA to boost ratings and promote a liberal political agenda. Swift has been in a relationship with Kelce since September 2023 and is a regular presence at his games.
The conspiracies surrounding Swift gained further attention after Trump claimed he made her "so much money" by signing the Music Modernization Act in 2018, which updates copyright law "to make statutory licensing more fair for creators and more efficient for digital music providers," according to the U.S. Copyright Office.
Trump targeted Swift and speculated about her potential endorsement of Biden in the early days of the 2024 election cycle. In characteristically self-promoting fashion, Trump claimed credit for Swift's financial success, citing his involvement in passing the legislation.
Trump argued that Swift should acknowledge his contribution and labeled supporting Biden as "disloyal." He said there is "no way" Swift could endorse Biden "...and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money."
Trump also made headlines during his 2024 presidential campaign after declaring "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT" in a Truth Social post mere days days after Swift endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris—a major development because Swift has used her massive profile to encourage young voters to participate in the electoral process.
Despite this, some agreed with Kelce's point of view on Trump's attendance or defended his remarks.
Others were more critical.
Whether Swift and Kelce share differing political views remains unknown. However, the couple will be in the spotlight on Sunday and Kelce playfully teased the idea of proposing to Swift during halftime.
The Chiefs will play their third straight Super Bowl after their win last Sunday over the Buffalo Bills, securing a narrow 32-29 victory. This win marks the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Chiefs have ended the Bills' playoff hopes.