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Some 30,000 progressives sign petition urging Taylor Swift to 'flash a QR code' at Super Bowl to dri

Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition urging Taylor Swift to 'flash a QR code' at the Super Bowl to drive up voter registrations and hurt Donald Trump in this year's presidential election.

By Friday afternoon, more than 28,000 people had inked the petition on MoveOn.org, calling on Swift to use her stardom and the Super Bowl 58 spotlight in Las Vegas on Sunday to drum up support for the Democrats.

The petition further fuels fears among conservatives and conspiracy theorists that Swift — and her romance with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce — is part of an elaborate plan to help President Joe Biden win a second term in November.

'Last year, Taylor Swift posted a link to register to vote on her Instagram stories and Vote.org reported more than 35,000 registrations in just 24 hours,' says the petition.

Taylor Swift is expected to cheer on beau Travis Kelsey at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas despite having a concert in Tokyo the day prior

Taylor Swift is expected to cheer on beau Travis Kelsey at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas despite having a concert in Tokyo the day prior

A petition on the progressive website MoveOn.org wants Swift to drum up voter registrations at the Super Bowl

A petition on the progressive website MoveOn.org wants Swift to drum up voter registrations at the Super Bowl 

'Imagine how many voters she could get to register by leveraging the media attention from Super Bowl LVIII weekend alone.'

The petition's organizers say Swift 'has an opportunity to reach voters on a tremendous scale' thanks to becoming a 'common sighting at NFL games' since she started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

The Super Bowl face-off between Kelce's team and the San Francisco 49ers will be watched by some 100 million people, they add.

Among them are many of the 41 million Gen Zers who are now eligible to vote — and Swift sharing a QR code during the event could encourage enough voter registrations to swing the election result in November.

Better still, Swift could share the code at performances of her record-breaking Eras Tour, it adds.

'Twice-impeached and disgraced former president Donald Trump is running again,' says the petition.

'The stakes are high and the foundation of our democracy is literally on the line.'

Swift in 2020 endorsed the Democratic presidential team, releasing a photo of herself holding a tray of 'Biden Harris 2020' cookies

Swift in 2020 endorsed the Democratic presidential team, releasing a photo of herself holding a tray of 'Biden Harris 2020' cookies

Kelce and Swift made their relationship public in September with the singer's first appearance at a Chiefs game.

Swift is expected to attend her 13th game in the Super Bowl in Nevada despite having a concert in Tokyo the day prior.

The country-pop star from West Reading, Pennsylvania, is not overtly political and appeals to both liberals and conservatives.

In 2020, she endorsed the Democratic presidential team, releasing a photo of herself holding a tray of 'Biden Harris 2020' cookies.

In recent weeks, right-wing conspiracy theorists have suggested Swift's growing stardom and attendance at Kelce's NFL games are part of a nefarious plot to swing November's election.

Swift, they say, is a 'Pentagon asset,' an 'election interference psyop' who, with unnamed liberals plotted to 'rig' the Super Bowl and then endorse Biden in the presidential ballot. 

Jesse Watters put the conspiracy theory into the mainstream, despite admitting he 'obviously has no evidence'

Jesse Watters put the conspiracy theory into the mainstream, despite admitting he 'obviously has no evidence'

'The Taylor Swift girlboss psyop has been fully activated,' one wrote after the singer was named Time's Person of the Year last month

'The Taylor Swift girlboss psyop has been fully activated,' one wrote after the singer was named Time's Person of the Year last month

After seeing the NATO conference video on Tuesday, Jeff Clark, who was assistant attorney general in the Trump White House, declared 'Taylor Swift is a Trojan Horse'

After seeing the NATO conference video on Tuesday, Jeff Clark, who was assistant attorney general in the Trump White House, declared 'Taylor Swift is a Trojan Horse' 

Another former Trump official, ex-senior advisor Stephen Miller, insisted 'what¿s happening with Taylor Swift is not organic'.

Another former Trump official, ex-senior advisor Stephen Miller, insisted 'what's happening with Taylor Swift is not organic'.

PSYOP is a military term for 'psychological operations' aimed at influencing the emotions and reasoning of a target audience, ultimately to swing the balance of power in a foreign country.

Among the theorists is Fox News host Jesse Watters, who called Swift a 'front for a covert political agenda.'

'Have you ever wondered why or how she blew up like this?' asked Waters, implying the government orchestrated Swift becoming the biggest celebrity of 2023 so she could be used as a covert Democratic Party agent.

Former GOP presidential candidate and Trump backer Vivek Ramaswamy made similar remarks. 

Speculation about Swift being used by the Democrats to drum up votes ramped up after she was named Time's Person of the Year last month

Speculation about Swift being used by the Democrats to drum up votes ramped up after she was named Time's Person of the Year last month

'I wonder who's going to win the Super Bowl next month,' Ramaswamy posted on X/Twitter at the end of January.

'And I wonder if there's a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall.'

The petition has only added fuel to the bizarre theory that Swift is working with the Democrats.

But the petition organizers reject how the 'right-wing is spreading conspiracy theories' about the performer.

'They want to stoke fear and paranoia to dissuade her from having an impact,' says the petition.

'It's textbook fragile masculinity, and we call their bluff.'

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-06-18