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Two NFL helmets in front of the Super Bowl trophy

Super Bowl 58 has been and gone, with Kansas City Chiefs taking home the trophy!

But this year's match took on added significance, due to conspiracy theories surrounding Taylor Swift and her involvement in both the game and the result of the upcoming US presidential election.

The boss of America's National Football League, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, dismissed the theories as "nonsense", saying "I'm not that good a scripter".

But what are these theories, where did they begin and how did they make their way from social media to the NFL commissioner?

Two NFL helmets in front of the Super Bowl trophy
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

What is a conspiracy theory?

A conspiracy theory is the belief that an event or situation is the result of a secret plan, usually made by powerful people.

In this case, and quite fittingly given the artist involved, it all starts with a love story.

The conspiracy theory, which has been spread by right-wing influencers online, states that the Super Bowl was rigged in favour of the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that Swift's partner Travis Kelce plays for.

The theory alleges that this was done in exchange for Swift and Kelce agreeing to endorse US President Joe Biden's campaign for re-election.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

How do conspiracies start?

Conspiracy theories have existed for a long time, but through the use of social media they can now spread quicker than ever.

They often start as whispers online, usually spread within small circles of online communities. And as they are picked up on by more people, with bigger influence, they are able to grow and spread more widely.

In the case of this conspiracy theory, Taylor's first step into politics in 2018 is often seen as the starting point - when she backed two Democratic candidates in her home state of Tennessee.

Swift in particular became a target due to her large following, often known as 'Swifties', which has meant that some political pundits fear her input could genuinely influence the results of the forthcoming US election.

How did the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory spread?

After making the rounds online, the conspiracy theory then hit the mainstream media - being talked about on America's most-watched cable news channel, Fox.

A tweet about the Super Bowl being rigged and Taylor Swift influencing the American election

And it didn't stop there!

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also joined in on the speculation, with a cryptic tweet implying that Super Bowl 58 might've been rigged, in the lead up to a "major presidential endorsement" from an "artificially" propped-up couple - which many people believe was a reference to Swift and Kelce.

The post, which was a reply to another tweet speculating about Taylor, has gained around 2.7 million views.

What can we learn from this?

This is a good example of how conspiracies can spread, as the involvement of increasingly influential voices turns a social media murmur into a worldwide talking point.

While Swift did endorse Joe Biden in 2020, which also coincided with the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, there is no evidence to suggest that this is part of any larger conspiracy.

Especially as the Chiefs also took home the trophy in 2023, with both of those wins taking place before Swift's romance with Kelce.

To put it simply - this is fake news!

When thinking about the things you come across online, it's important to consider if what you're reading is biased or balanced, and the reputation of the original source.

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