President Donald J. Trump, who has not shied away from sparring with celebrities, reportedly took a markedly different tone Tuesday when asked about the high-profile engagement of pop superstar Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
“Well, I wish them a lot of luck,” Mr. Trump told reporters after wrapping up an hours-long Cabinet meeting. “I think it’s — I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy and I think that she’s a terrific person. So I wish them a lot of luck.”
The comments represented a shift from Mr. Trump’s past remarks about Ms. Swift, whom he has often criticized on his Truth Social platform.
In May, the president declared that he “hates” the singer and said she is “no longer HOT.” Earlier, in February, he claimed she was “booed out of the stadium” during the Super Bowl — an event he attended in person, where he had predicted a Chiefs victory.
On that occasion, Mr. Trump praised quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany, noting that “she’s a Trump fan.” At the time, his comments underscored the contrast between Swift’s outspoken political views and the loyalty of other sports figures to his movement.
Tuesday’s engagement news came directly from Ms. Swift, who announced it to her 280 million Instagram followers, posting photographs of herself and Mr. Kelce embracing in a flower-filled garden and displaying what appeared to be an engagement ring.
For conservatives, Mr. Trump’s measured response reflects an ability to separate politics from culture at a moment when celebrity influence often skews left.
Ms. Swift has been a prominent critic of the president, accusing him in 2019 of “gaslighting the American public” and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 failed White House bid. That political backdrop makes Mr. Trump’s comments on her engagement all the more striking.
His relationship with the singer has long been contradictory. Last summer, he described Ms. Swift as “very beautiful” and openly wondered whether her liberal politics were “legitimately liberal” or “just an act.” Those remarks hinted at skepticism that the pop star’s political branding matched her true beliefs.
By contrast, Mr. Kelce has largely avoided overt political statements, though his relationship with Ms. Swift has been a cultural flashpoint that the media has eagerly amplified.
To Mr. Trump, however, Kelce’s reputation as a “great player” and “great guy” was enough to warrant public congratulations.
That a president known for blunt critiques and partisan jabs would pause to offer gracious words toward a frequent antagonist could be seen as a tactical choice.
In a media environment where celebrities often lecture on politics, Mr. Trump’s well-wishes suggested confidence in his own standing, signaling that he need not trade barbs to remain relevant.
For now, the president appears willing to let the Swift-Kelce engagement stand as a personal milestone rather than another battlefield in the nation’s cultural divide. Whether that truce holds, given Swift’s history of political endorsements, remains to be seen.
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