Taylor Swift is a 'national treasure,' says exiled Trump critic
Almost guaranteeing that the meltdown under Donald J. Trump's Make America Great Again movement will continue, Liz Cheney has spoken out about Taylor Swift.
The former Wyoming representative and scion of old Republicanism, who was effectively excommunicated from the party for her criticism of Mr. Trump, declared on social media: “Taylor Swift is a national treasure.”
Mr. Trump responded on his social media website: “Liz has gone completely Democratic.”
That Mrs. Cheney poked that bear is not surprising. She has spent years provoking Mr. Trump, antagonizing his most ardent followers and urging her fellow Republicans to move on after renouncing him in response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Mr. Trump's response is more remarkable.
His presidential campaign had at first tried to ignore the swirl of baseless conspiracy theories among his supporters, which somehow claim that Ms. Swift and Travis Kelce of Kansas City are carrying out a fake, made-for-TV romance by Democrats. and the National Football League to drum up interest ahead of a rigged Super Bowl, when they would support President Biden's re-election.
Ultimately, conservatives' fulminations reached such a fever pitch that the campaign gave its supporters the message not to worry: No amount of support could save Mr. Biden.
But opponents of Mr. Trump have seen it in their interest to stoke the controversy and draw the ire of the Swiftie legions, hoping to attract more women to Mr. Biden's camp, widening the gender gap and young voters are energized.
On Wednesday, Never Trump Republicans joined in. Adam Kinzinger, the former Republican representative who joined Ms. Cheney on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, wrote, “Can you imagine seething with outrage over Taylor Swift ,' he asked. He added: “Good gentlemen, take a walk and relax.”
Also the Lincoln Project, founded by anti-Trump conservatives and former Republicans made a video to mark the moment.
Mercilessly mocked, some Republicans and conservative commentators have tried to withdraw it. Spencer Cox, Republican Governor of Utahsaid the 2024 election was going to be bad enough “without us coming up with more stupid things to fight about.”
He pleaded, “Just let Travis and Taylor do their thing. Encourage your team. Cheer for the football. Listen to your music. Let's take a deep breath and relax.”