POLITICO Nightly: The GOP’s Taylor Swift problem

 

BY CALDER MCHUGH AND MIA MCCARTHY Presented by Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Taylor Swift after a 17-10 victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. | Patrick Smith/Getty Images BAD BLOOD — Taylor Swift is a George Soros plant. A Biden operative who’s poised to endorse the Democratic president at the 50-yard-line at halftime of the Super Bowl. The pop superstar and her vaccine-loving, football-star boyfriend Travis Kelce — if they are, in fact, even an authentic couple — are a psy-op designed to dupe Americans into supporting the left. In fact, all sports are psy-ops that stop Americans from paying sufficient attention to Jesus. These are among the astonishing array of shadowy conspiracy theories and wild claims currently coursing through the conservative media ecosystem . And they might be a glimpse into the future of the Republican Party. The paranoid style in American politics isn’t a new phenomenon. But the Swift saga suggests a traditional mode of political expression has metastasized into a serious problem for the GOP. As the party has taken on an increasingly populist bent, the feedback loop that powers its politics is showing signs of going off the rails — and the GOP is so fractured that it’s incapable of stopping it. The mechanics of the toxic feedback loop are straightforward. Conservative influencers attach themselves to a new front in the culture war, which in turn attracts the attention of more prominent conservative media. They then disseminate the narrative to a MAGA movement that is steeped in conspiracy theory and primed to expect rigged outcomes. Still, to escape the fever swamps of the internet, the original idea needs additional oxygen — which is frequently provided by ambitious pols who are eager to seize on the latest outrage animating a restive base. In the case of the “Tayvis” conspiracy theories, that was recent Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy. On Monday he took to X (formerly known as Twitter), to wink , “I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month. And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall.” What’s been missing are the voices of top Republicans denouncing the conspiratorial fantasies. Attacking America’s biggest musical icon, one with an enormous following among young people, is no path to victory in November. And yet few have stepped in to stamp out the fires or call out the madness. In part, it’s a reflection of a sense on the right that Swift, who has occasionally backed Democratic politicians and causes, is no friend. But it’s also a sign that they fear there’s more to lose than to gain by weighing in. The few Republicans speaking the loudest and clearest, it turns out, are the ones for whom the political equation is flipped — lawmakers from Missouri and Kansas. They have every incentive to avoid alienating their constituents in so-called Chiefs Kingdom, where Kelce is a star on Kansas City’s Super Bowl-bound team. “That’s all nonsense,” Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) told POLITICO . “Everyone should embrace the Travis and Tay-Tay story. I think it’s a great story, an American love story, something that Walt Disney wrote. So we just wish them the best. I think it’s great for the NFL.” Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), a loyal Chiefs fan, expressed similar sentiments. “If they’re both in love, good for them, and I have a 13-year-old that’s a huge Taylor Swift fan,” he said. “She’s a pop star and she’s got a boyfriend who plays for the Chiefs, and I don’t probably [need to] overcomplicate things.” Welcome to POLITICO Nightly. Reach out with news, tips and ideas at nightly@politico.com . Or contact tonight’s authors at cmchugh@politico.com and mmccarthy@politico.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @calder_mchugh and @Reporter_Mia .   A message from American Beverage: Not all plastic is the same. America’s beverage companies are carefully designing our plastic bottles to be 100% recyclable, including the caps. This means our bottles can be remade into new bottles, and that can reduce our use of new plastic. Learn more at EveryBottleBack.org.   WHAT'D I MISS? — The Fed holds line on rates as Wall Street waits for cuts: Federal Reserve officials held interest rates steady today, and the decision that Wall Street and Washington have been waiting for — when will the Fed lower rates — will come at a future meeting. The central bank’s policy-setting committee said it doesn’t expect to lower rates “until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent,” leaving open the question of whether officials will act at their next meeting in March. — Federal judge throws out Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis: Disney lost a major battle in its bitter struggle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis after a federal judge tossed out the entertainment giant’s lawsuit against the Republican governor and his hand-picked board that now oversees the land around Disney World. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, said Disney lacked standing and jurisdiction in arguing that actions pushed by DeSantis were retaliatory and violated the First Amendment rights of the company. — QAnon supporters to host fundraiser for Kari Lake: Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake is headlining a campaign fundraiser on Friday hosted by two wealthy QAnon supporters , according to an invitation obtained by POLITICO. Caryn and Michael Borland, who have shared numerous QAnon posts on their social media platforms, are holding the fundraiser for the likely GOP nominee at their mansion in Prescott, Arizona. Tickets for the Lake fundraiser are sold on a sliding scale, from $50 per person to $13,200 to be a “Leadership Committee” co-chair, $6,600 to be a “co-host” and $3,300 to be a “sponsor.” — California introduces first-in-nation slavery reparations package: California state lawmakers introduced a slate of reparations bills today, including a proposal to restore property taken by “race-based” cases of eminent domain and a potentially unconstitutional measure to provide state funding for “specific groups.” The package marks a first-in-the-nation effort to give restitution to Black Americans who have been harmed by centuries of racist policies and practices. California’s legislative push is the culmination of years of research and debate, including 111-pages of recommendations issued last year by a task force.   CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM , get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.     NIGHTLY ROAD TO 2024 MADAME PRESIDENT   — Nikki Haley said a Kamala Harris presidency “should send chills up everyone’s spines,” during an interview that aired today on the influential hip hop morning show The Breakfast Club. She said one of the reasons she is staying in the race, despite appearing to fall short of former President Donald Trump, is to thwart Harris’ presidency, POLITICO reports. BREAKING BREAD — Former President Donald Trump met with leaders of the Teamsters Union in Washington today as he tried to chip away at President Joe Biden’s organized labor support heading into a likely general election rematch, reports the Associated Press. Trump participated in a roundtable with the union’s executive board, its president and members as he works to win over the blue-collar workers who helped fuel his 2016 victory and who are expected to play a major role in November, particularly in critical Midwestern swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan. Speaking to reporters after what he called “a very productive meeting,” Trump acknowledged the union typically backs Democrats, but said of a possible endorsement, “Stranger things have happened.”   A message from American Beverage:     AROUND THE WORLD Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Valeriy Zaluzhny pays his respects to victims of a deadly helicopter crash during a farewell ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023. | Efrem Lukatsky/AP RUMOR MILL — Tensions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his top commander Valery Zaluzhny came to a head this week following reports that the military leader was going to be fired . However, the popular general is still at his post, and the reason he has so far been spared is that Zelenskyy is afraid of creating a powerful political rival if Zaluzhny were fired, a person in Ukraine’s presidential office and another person familiar with the talks between the two told POLITICO. The two were granted anonymity as they were not permitted to speak to the press. On Monday, several Ukrainian media outlets and opposition politicians, as well as anonymous Telegram channels seen as being friendly with the president’s office, spread rumors that Zelenskyy had ousted the popular general. That was met with official pushback. The reports were that Zaluzhny had been offered another post, but that he had declined. An official close to Zaluzhny confirmed that the meeting in the presidential office had taken place, but said that he was not aware of what was discussed or offered to Zaluzhny. The media fuss appears to be “a controlled leak of information ahead of time,” possibly by Zaluzhny’s team or political actors trying to boost the general’s popularity, the person familiar with the talks said. “I know for a fact that Zaluzhny is going to be fired, but it was not supposed to happen on Monday and it didn’t,” that person said.   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      NIGHTLY NUMBER $12.3 million The amount that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced it raised in December for a total of $28 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. RADAR SWEEP THERE’S AI IN MY CLOSET — In the fashion industry, trend forecasters have been predicting the newest fashion fads for decades — and they have their methods down to both an art and a science. But today, computers do much of that work, using data from social media and digital advertising. Computers take in trends from big pop culture moments or from standout red carpet looks — just think of how Barbiecore took over the planet following the Barbie movie this summer. Now, AI could be the future to trend predicting , with many fashion companies planning to use more generative AI technology in their business, after already using it for inventory and pricing. Dayana Mustak writes about how AI is currently picking what we might be wearing in two years time for Bloomberg. PARTING IMAGE On this date in 1948: Mahatma Gandhi's sandalwood funeral pyre was lit on the banks of the Jumna River in New Delhi, India. Indian soldiers, cavalry and police used their rifles, lathis and clubs to force back the crowd who surged forward after the pyre was lit, as violence touched off by his assassination flared across the country. | AP Did someone forward this email to you?  Sign up here .   A message from American Beverage: Our plastic bottles are made to be remade. America’s leading beverage companies - The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo - are working together to reduce our industry’s plastic footprint through our Every Bottle Back initiative. We’re investing in efforts to get our bottles back so we can remake them into new bottles. Together, we’re:  • Designing 100% recyclable plastic bottles – we’re making our bottles from PET that’s strong, lightweight and easy to recycle.   • Investing in community recycling – we’re marshaling the equivalent of nearly a half-billion dollars with The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners to support community recycling programs where we can have the greatest impact. • Raising awareness – we’re adding on-pack reminders to encourage consumers to recycle our plastic bottles and caps.     Please help us get Every Bottle Back.     Follow us on Twitter Charlie Mahtesian @PoliticoCharlie Calder McHugh @calder_mchugh Mia McCarthy @Reporter_Mia   FOLLOW US

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