Taylor Swift Was Called a Government 'Asset' in Fox News Conspiracy Theory. The Pentagon Had the Perfect Response

The Pentagon wasted no time shutting down Jesse Watters' on-air claim that Swift might be "a front for a covert political agenda"

The Pentagon had little patience for Fox News host Jesse Watters after he claimed that the Department of Defense has talked about making Taylor Swift an "asset" for its psychological operations unit.

During Tuesday's broadcast of Jesse Watters Primetime, the conservative talk show host suggested that the pop superstar — who recently partnered with nonpartisan organization Vote.org to encourage voter registration — could be "a front for a covert political agenda," asking his viewers: "Have you ever wondered why or how she blew up like this?"

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Watters then played a clip from a 2019 conference sponsored by NATO in which a presenter mentions Swift as an example of an influential person, saying, "Yeah that's real. The Pentagon psyop unit pitched NATO on turning Taylor Swift into an asset for combating misinformation online."

After the clip aired, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh playfully brushed off Watters' unusual claims, telling Politico that "as for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off" — a reference to Swift's hit 2014 single.

Related: Jesse Watters Doubles Down on Ron DeSantis' Claim That Slavery 'Benefited' Enslaved People: 'Historical Fact'

Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey also commented on Watters' insinuation that Swift's voter registration efforts are backed by the government, posting on X: "Our partnership with @taylorswift13 is helping all Americans make their voices heard at the ballot box. Not a psy-op or a Pentagon asset. Just the biggest nonpartisan platform in America helping young people register & cast their vote."

Swift has been outspoken in recent years on a handful of political issues, including supporting LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive rights and gun safety reform. She endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

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