Far-right backs 49ers in Super Bowl, citing alleged Taylor Swift-NFL alliance for Biden reelection
Good morning. It’s Thursday, Feb. 8. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- The 49ers can thank Taylor Swift for their new fanbase
- Some rain and snow are still on tap for SoCal
- Eat your feelings on Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped tacos, pizza and cake
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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The unlikely new fans of the 49ers
With the high-powered Super Bowl LVIII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers set for Sunday, another battle is stirring off the field, causing “Bad Blood.”
An unexpected group is flooding social media with support for the 49ers, with many , hoping they take down ...
The Kansas City...Sorry.
*checks notes*
Taylor Swift?
The newfound affection for San Francisco, a city often portrayed as a hellhole on conservative platforms, is actually a protest of the pop star, who is the sweetheart of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Now, right-wing commentators are labeling the 49ers “America’s Team” (Sorry, Dallas), The Times’ Julia Wick reported.
Here’s what you need to know about the one-sided beef.
Taylor Swift and the Great War with the far right
Unfounded right-wing theories have widely alleged that Swift and the NFL are forming a nefarious alliance to hinder Donald Trump’s 2024 election chances with an endorsement for President Biden in November.
Conservative-leaning channels, including Fox News, have spent the past few months telling their audience that Swift is a Trojan horse for the Democratic Party and a psychological operations asset for the Pentagon.
Fox News anchor Jesse Watters suggested last month that Swift might be “a front for a covert political agenda” and claimed that the Pentagon’s psychological operations unit floated the idea of using Swift as an asset four years ago.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh rebutted Watters’ claim using one of Swift’s song titles: “As for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off.”
Conservatives continue to thrust Kelce, All-Pro tight end and Swift’s boyfriend, into this beef for appearance in Pfizer commercials promoting the COVID-19 vaccines.
There is no evidence suggesting that Swift ensured her boyfriend’s team a spot in the Super Bowl or that she intends to endorse Biden after he wins a “rigged” game, as some theories suggest. What we do know is that Swift did endorse Biden in 2020.
New ‘Fans’ joining the 49ers bandwagon
A growing who’s who of right-wing commentators —considered agitators by some— who have previously expressed great disdain for San Francisco now, surprisingly, share an affinity for the 49ers.
On Sunday, conservative sports pundit Clay Travis appeared on Fox News, declaring he would be “proudly supporting the San Francisco 49ers, America’s team, on Sunday against Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.”
Right-wing commentator and journalist Nick Sortor may have initiated the unlikely MAGA-SF love-fest on social media. He posted on the platform X after the Chiefs’ AFC Championship victory last Saturday.
“I haven’t given a crap about the NFL since all their ‘Black Lives Matter’ BS,” Sortor tweeted. “But I’m now a 49ers fan specifically to see Taylor Swift and that Pfizer guy go down.”
Democratic politicians respond
San Francisco and Democratic politicians are surprised by the recent endorsement of the Niners by pundits from the right, with some criticizing the connection between Swift and GOP conspiracy theories.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, the former mayor of San Francisco who is campaigning for Biden, labeled the right’s criticism of Swift as “sad and pathetic” during an MSNBC interview.
Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), who will attend the Super Bowl with his father , found it strange that those who usually hate San Francisco are now backing its beloved team.
“They hate Taylor Swift even more, I guess,” he said.
On the other hand, some Bay Area politicians are less receptive to the support, like state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco).
The former chair of the California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Caucus — known for his efforts to legalize psychedelics, allow bars to stay open until 4 a.m. and build more housing — embodies the opposite of far-right beliefs. So ending up rooting for the same side is a bit baffling.
“We don’t need their support. We don’t want their support. San Francisco will be just fine without them,” Wiener said of the newest 49ers fans. “Conspiracy theorists are very, very bad energy. We don’t need that negative energy.”
Today’s top stories
Politics
- Supreme Court considers whether Trump can be disqualified because of Jan. 6 insurrection.
- How a California Republican helped tank Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ impeachment vote.
- If we must rely on ‘history and tradition’ to assess gun laws, does racist history count?
- President Biden is expected back in California for more reelection fundraising this month.
California storm
- Some rain and snow are still on tap for SoCal, but the worst of the deadly winter storm has passed.
- The unloved L.A. River just prevented a flood disaster. Can more of its water be saved?
- Here’s how much it has rained in California compared with years past.
- Before-after images show the scale of flooding across SoCal.
Super Bowl LVIII
- Super Bowl LVIII matchups, analysis and prediction: And the winner is ...
- Usher brings romance to the biggest stage in America: The Super Bowl.
More big stories
- ‘Nobody’s coming’ for L.A.’s doomed shelter dogs. This volunteer superstar is changing that.
- Rebecca Grossman floored the gas pedal and struck two boys at ‘freeway speeds,’ investigators say.
- Bodies of five Marines were recovered near San Diego after a helicopter crash.
- L.A.’s worst parking lots? We figured out how to fix them.
- High-speed rail is coming to the Central Valley. Residents see a new life in the fast lane.
- California lawmakers blast the state’s workplace safety agency over ‘dangerous’ farmworker conditions.
- L.A. County legal spending skyrocketed to $1 billion last year, as Sheriff’s Department settlements balloon.
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Commentary and opinions
- Jackie Calmes: A Republican senator got the border deal the GOP said it wanted. Watch while his party betrays him.
- Harry Litman: An appeals court crushed Trump’s immunity claim. He could face trial before the election.
- Sammy Roth: Who should pay for climate solutions? The debate is heating up.
- Opinion: What King Charles’ cancer diagnosis means for the modern monarchy.
- Editorial: SoCal’s smog-cutting plan is failing and regulators would rather point fingers than fix it.
- Opinion: Before the feds surveil Americans for Gaza protests, rein in warrantless spying.
- Column: Who gets to be Latino? This Argentinian actor has a take.
- Anita Chabria: Why is it OK for rich guys to steal my work?
Today’s great reads
Meet the man who has tasted everything on the Cheesecake Factory’s ridiculously long menu. The Cheesecake Factory has an official taste tester for every dish on that hefty menu. He’s also CEO of the eatery people love or loathe so much it’s meme-worthy.
Other great reads
- Michael Jackson and Beyoncé: Choreographer Fatima Robinson gets them moving and shaking.
- I’ll be covering Super Bowl LVIII, and by that I mean Taylor and Travis’ love story.
- Twelve readers tell us about their favorite trees in L.A.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🍕🌮 Eat your feelings on Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped tacos, pizza and cake.
- 🌿 OG Cannabis Cafe, L.A.’s first pub for pot people, blazes back after a 4-year hiatus.
- 💪🏾 This Pilates class is harder to get into than the Magic Castle.
- 🍜 Get the most bang from these hand-pulled biang biang noodle spots.
Staying in
- 📖 Resisting sentimentality, Laird Hunt’s latest book is an elegy for a lost generation.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for Mardi Gras king cake with cream cheese and apple fillings.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... from our archives
On Feb. 8, 1960, construction began on the Hollywood Walk of Fame — one of Los Angeles’ most popular tourist attractions. The Times published a virtual tour of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a database of the stars and organizations enshrined on the sidewalks along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Anthony De Leon, reporting fellow
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy metro editor
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