President Donald Trump targeted pop singer Taylor Swift on Monday, April 27, during a White House event honoring the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl triumph. While addressing attendees on the South Lawn, Trump mentioned Swift’s attendance at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she supported her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“I was watching in person. I was there along with Taylor Swift, how did that work out? How did that one work out?” Trump remarked, eliciting laughter from the gathered audience.
The Eagles defeated the Chiefs 40-22 in the February championship, a game that received heightened attention due to Swift’s relationship with Kelce. The artist was noticeably booed when she appeared on the Caesars Superdome jumbotron during the game’s first quarter.
This is not the first instance of Trump commenting on Swift’s reception at the Super Bowl. Following the game in February, the president noted on his Truth Social platform that Swift “got BOOED out of the Stadium” and stated, “MAGA is very unforgiving!”
Trump made history by being the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, receiving mixed reactions from the crowd. Some captured videos from inside the stadium showed applause for the president, while others documented boos. The reaction was divided, with a split between supporters and detractors.
Swift has a complex relationship with the Eagles. Before her relationship with Kelce, she identified as a fan of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, team during an Eras Tour concert at Lincoln Financial Field. Swift, who grew up in Pennsylvania, informed the audience that an “Eagles T-shirt” reference in her song “Gold Rush” was about the NFL team, not the band.
“Guys, like, c’mon. I’m from Philly. Of course, it is the team,” Swift stated to fans at the Philadelphia venue.
Swift’s father, Scott, is publicly known as an Eagles supporter. However, since she began dating Kelce, Swift appears to have shifted her allegiance to the Chiefs, attending their games regularly during the 2024-2025 season.
Trump’s remarks come as he endeavors to arrange a White House visit for the 2020 Kansas City Chiefs team, who won Super Bowl LIV but could not make the traditional championship visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If this visit occurs, it might bring Trump face-to-face with Kelce.
During Super Bowl week in February, when news emerged that Trump would be attending the game, Kelce made diplomatic remarks about the president’s presence. He told reporters that having the president attend was “awesome” and “a great honor… no matter who the President is.”
The relationship between Trump and Swift has been contentious. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Swift endorsed Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris. Following this endorsement, Trump publicly expressed his disapproval of Swift on social media and in television appearances, suggesting she would “probably pay a price for it in the marketplace.”
Despite the controversy surrounding his remarks about Swift, Trump maintained a generally positive tone during the Eagles event on Monday. He commended the team’s Super Bowl performance, particularly highlighting running back Saquon Barkley’s contributions.
Several prominent Eagles players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, were absent from the White House celebration. The White House cited “scheduling conflicts” as the reason for these absences, without providing additional details.
The Eagles’ decisive victory over the Chiefs followed a season of exceptional performances. The Super Bowl was held on a field that Trump criticized as being “frozen” and “stiff” due to alterations in the playing surface.
The Eagles’ visit to the White House continues the tradition of championship sports teams being honored by the president, although this practice has become increasingly politicized in recent years, with some teams and individual players opting out of the ceremonial event.
