“She really does run the world”: Internet reacts to Pentagon denying conspiracy theory that Taylor Swift is a government asset

When Fox News host Jesse Watters suggested this week that pop singer Taylor Swift could be a "front for a covert political agenda," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh responded in a statement saying,

"As for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off."

The Pentagon is a symbol of the U.S. military and is often used as a metonym for the Department of Defense and its leadership. The statement by Sabrina Singh was in reference to Swift's song, Shake It Off.

As the news about this interaction went viral on X (formerly Twitter), netizens took to the comment section to react.

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On January 9, during his show Jesse Watters Primetime, Jesse Watters said,

"Around four years ago, the Pentagon's psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset... It's real. The Pentagon psy-op unit pitched NATO on turning Taylor Swift into an asset for combating misinformation online."

Watters proceeded to show a clip from a 2019 conference organized by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, where a presenter named Taylor Swift was an example of a powerful influencer.

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"We truly live in the age of bizarre rumors," say netizens about Taylor Swift Pentagon rumors

As rumors about Taylor Swift's affiliation with The Pentagon went viral, netizens took to X to express their opinions. While some called the rumors "bizarre," others believe that hopping onto the Taylor trend for clout has become normal and common.

However, others wish the pop star to be left alone. Some even suggested that the fact Swift is believed to be associated with the government explains the spread of her success and stardom.

A user calls the rumor "Bizarre" (image via X/@mimicracyy)

Another user comments on Taylor's impact (image via X/@artur_mfs)

A user defends Taylor's hard work (Image via X/@loonagohard)

A user references Taylor's recently viral NY Times opinion piece (image via X/@kittygang_4ever)

A user wonders how the news host came up with the conspiracy theory (image via X/@ever1or3)

Another user believes the rumor to be a compliment (image via X/@sashay_yourway)

A user says the pop star is "literally everywhere" (Image via X/@The_khemist)

The CEO of vote.org, Andrea Hailey, also pushed back on the rumors on January 10, saying,

"Not a psy-op or a Pentagon asset. Just the biggest nonpartisan platform in America helping young people register & cast their vote."

The rumors come after Swift's recent rapid success. She was named TIME Magazine's Person of the Year in 2023 after being recognized as one of the best-selling artists of all time.