Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Fox News Host Ripped For Peddling Baseless Theory That Taylor Swift Is A Government Operative

Screenshot of Jesse Watters and Stuart Kaplan discussing Taylor Swift
Fox News

Jesse Watters amplified a rightwing conspiracy theory on his Fox News show on Tuesday claiming that Swift is a secret 'Pentagon PsyOp asset' because she encouraged people to vote.

Fox News personality Jesse Watters raised eyebrows when he entertained a conspiracy theory suggesting pop sensation Taylor Swift could be a covert government operative.

During his show Jesse Watters Primetime, Watters presented a clip falsely attributed to a Pentagon official, claiming that Swift was considered by the Pentagon's psychological operations unit as an asset to combat online misinformation.


Watters questioned Swift's meteoric rise to fame, suggesting a possible government connection:

"I like her music. She’s all right. But, I mean, have you ever wondered why or how she blew up like this?"

He then played a clip from a 2019 cyber conference featuring Alicia Bargar, a research engineer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who used Swift as an example of a public figure combating misinformation through a "peaceful information operation."

But Bargar is not a Pentagon operative, not that this stopped Watters.

He said:

“Well, around four years ago, the Pentagon psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting. What kind of asset? A PSYOP for combating online misinformation." ...
“Yeah, that’s real: the Pentagon PSYOP unit pitched NATO on turning Taylor Swift into an asset for combating misinformation online.”

You can hear what he said in the video below.

Despite the false attribution, Watters continued to mull over the theory, and later during the same segment he only somewhat walked back his assertion about Swift, acknowledging the lack of evidence to support the theory:

“So is Swift a front for a covert political agenda? 'Primetime’ obviously has no evidence. If we did, we’d share it.”
“But we’re curious because the pop star who endorsed [now-President Joe] Biden is urging millions of her followers to vote."

Andrea Hailey, the CEO of Vote.org, quickly dismissed Watters' conspiracy theory, noting that Swift's partnership with the organization "is helping all Americans make their voices heard at the ballot box." She added that Swift is aiding "the biggest nonpartisan platform in America helping young people register [and] cast their vote."

Watters was highly criticized for his absurd declaration.


The Pentagon later was forced to address Watters' conspiracy theory—and with a Swiftian sense of humor at that.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh responded to Watters' claim, invoking one of Swift's popular hits by stating in a release, "as for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off."

Singh took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of Congress approving the supplemental budget request "Swift-ly," cleverly integrating another Swift song into her statement, saying, "'I Wish You Would' grant the administration" its request.

More from Trending

Jesse Watters
Fox News

Jesse Watters Dragged After Adding Another Mind-Boggling Rule For 'Real Men'

Fox News host Jesse Watters, who is apparently an authority of what it means to be a manly man, gave jazz hands to make a point about how "real men" should or shouldn't wave.

The target of his ridicule was Tim Walz, the enthusiastic Democratic Minnesota governor and vice presidential candidate who often greets the public by raising both hands in the air to wave.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of crowd at town hall and Rep. Mike Flood
@MorePerfectUS/X; KETV NewsWatch 7

GOP Rep. Goes Viral For His Response To Crowd Chanting 'Tax The Rich' At Town Hall

Nebraska Republican Representative Mike Flood was criticized following his incredulous response to a crowd that chanted "Tax the rich!" during a town hall meeting.

The Columbus High School auditorium hosted the town hall on Tuesday evening, drawing "nearly 380" attendees, according to local network KETV Omaha. The event was lively, with Flood facing both sharp criticism over Trump administration policies and some appreciation for showing up in person.

Keep ReadingShow less
Elon Musk
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Awkward Typo In Elon Musk's Bizarre 'Education Department' Trump Meme Is A Total Self-Own

Billionaire Elon Musk was widely mocked after he celebrated President Donald Trump's executive order to begin to dismantle the Department of Education (DOE) by posting a meme of Trump at the department's grave, only for an awkward misspelling to get all the attention.

Polling indicates that eliminating the Education Department is largely unpopular, with 60% of registered voters opposing the move, according to a Quinnipiac University survey conducted March 6-10. Support stands at 33%, with opposition particularly strong among Democrats—98% oppose it, while just 1% support it.

Keep ReadingShow less
JB Pritzker; Donald Trump
Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Dem Governor Reveals Trump's Bonkers Demand In Exchange For Equipment During COVID

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker revealed during a speech this week that he clashed with President Donald Trump during the first Trump administration after Trump promised necessary medical equipment during the COVID pandemic on the condition that Pritzker praise him publicly.

Five years ago, the United States was grappling with the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had entered shutdowns that had severe economic consequences, leaving businesses and industries on the brink of collapse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scrabble tiles spelling the word scam
Scam spelled with scrabbles on a wooden table

People Break Down How They Realized An Entire Industry Was A Total Scam

We unfortunately live in a world where scams are on the rise.

Thankfully, some of them are pretty easy to detect, such as an automated call from the IRS telling you a warrant is out for your arrest, or an email claiming to be from Amazon or the USPS asking for your credit card information, only to look closer and see the email address is a yahoo account.

Keep ReadingShow less