Super Bowl Presser Gets Dark: Reporter Asks If There ‘Credible Threats’ Involving Taylor Swift Amid MAGA Backlash
Right-wing has been spreading deranged conspiracy theories about the pop star
The Super Bowl not only is one of the biggest sports events in the nation — as well as a top TV broadcast — it’s also regularly become designated as a National Special Security Event.
That designation puts the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in charge of a range of security arrangements for the big game, to be held Sunday in Las Vegas, Nev.
But this year’s pregame press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas took an unusual — and particularly dark — turn as he was asked about “credible threats” made against pop star Taylor Swift.
Swift is expected to attend Sunday’s game, as her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, plays for the the Kansas City Chiefs who will be facing off against the San Francisco 49ers.
In recent weeks, however, she has become the focus of bizarre, and frankly deranged, conspiracy theories on the part of MAGA Republicans who believe that she’s some kind of diabolical agent helping throw the Super Bowl all with some plan to endorse President Biden for reelection during the game.
Those theories have raised questions whether the 34-year-old pop princess could be the target of right-wing political violence.
Lisa Guerrero, with the TV show Inside Edition, asked Mayorkas about that possibility.
“Every single year the Super Bowl has enormous security. But this year, fans are really excited about Taylor Swift. There has also been some very negative pushback against her visibility at football games,” she began. “Have you seen any additional threats, any credible threats that are related to Taylor Swift?”
DHS has not, Mayorkas replied.
“We have not. I would defer also to my partners across the law enforcement spectrum, but I have to say that we are extraordinarily vigilant when we bring 65,000 people together in a stadium, when we have 330,000 people visiting the city for a major sporting event, and when we have millions of people around the world watching it,” he said. “Our priority is the safety and security of everyone in attendance, and that is what we are focused upon.
“And when there’s an additional celebrity who will bring more attention, we are already at a heightened state of vigilance and fulfilling our responsibility, just as we do every single day,” he added.
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