Liz Cheney Takes a Side in Republicans' Feud With Taylor Swift

Former Republican Representative Liz Cheney has taken a side in her party's feud with Taylor Swift.

Cheney expressed her support for Swift amid the barrage of attacks that the superstar has faced from the right on Wednesday, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter, "Taylor Swift is a national treasure."

The Wyoming Republican's comments come as conservatives have ramped up attacks on Swift in the wake of the Kansas City Chiefs' Sunday win, where they beat the Baltimore Ravens for a spot in the Super Bowl. Swift is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

Newsweek reached out to Swift for comment via email.

Criticisms of Swift have surged among Republicans, who have accused the singer of having extreme views of the GOP. Swift has not endorsed anyone in the 2024 election, but she previously backed Joe Biden in the 2020 election and two Democratic candidates from Tennessee who were running for Congress in the 2018 midterms. Swift has also been publicly critical of Trump in the past.

Questions surrounding whether or not Swift's political affiliations and beliefs have an impact on her millions of fans have emerged in recent weeks as conservative social media has become engulfed in conspiracy theories related to the pop star.

A poll conducted on behalf of Newsweek found that 18 percent of voters say they're "more likely" or "significantly more likely" to vote for a candidate endorsed by Swift. Almost as many voters said a Swift endorsement would make them less likely to vote for a candidate, 17 percent, and 55 percent said her support would not sway their votes.

This sentiment seemed to resonate among both supporters of Biden's 2024 campaign and supporters of former President Donald Trump's third presidential bid. Twenty-two percent of Biden voters and 18 percent of Trump voters said they would be more likely to cast a ballot for Swift's preferred candidate.

The survey, which was conducted on January 18 among 1,500 eligible voters, also found her to be popular among both Biden and Trump supporters, with 52 percent and 44 percent, respectively, describing themselves as fans of the singer-songwriter.

Although experts say Swift could very well influence the election if she were to publicly support a presidential candidate, history suggests her political endorsements may not be as successful as everything else she has touched. Despite her endorsement of Republican Marsha Blackburn's challenger in Tennessee's 2018 Senate race, Blackburn went on to defeat Swift-backed Phil Bredesen with more than 54 percent of the vote.

Cheney's position on the Swift debate seemed to divide Republicans. Several anti-Swift conservatives attacked the former congresswoman as "a national disgrace" and suggested her support for Swift revealed that Cheney was a Democrat, while pro-Swift conservatives agreed with the Wyoming Republican's stance.

"If MAGA hates [Taylor Swift] so much, then she must be doing something right," Republicans Against Trump responded to Cheney's tweet.

"Taylor Swift is nothing more than Napoleon Dynamite with lipstick and a willingness to shill for the highest bidder," a self-described "ultra MAGA" account, @TheLizVariant, wrote.