Taylor Swift holding 'Trump won' banner? That's not a real picture | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Image shows Taylor Swift holding a pro-Trump banner

A Jan. 31 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows musician Taylor Swift smiling and holding a large red banner in what appears to be a stadium box seat.

"Trump won, Democrats cheated!" reads the banner.

The post's caption says, "Taylor Swift woke up?"

The post garnered more than 700 likes in one day. Similar versions of the claim were shared on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter.

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Our rating: Altered

The image is digitally altered. The original photo shows Swift clutching her hands to her chest. There's no evidence the singer has publicly endorsed the former president.

Trump banner edited onto photo of Swift

Some MAGA supporters and conservative pundits alike have berated Swift online for months, criticizing her pop culture influence and her televised appearances at Kansas City Chiefs games and even accusing her of being a pawn of the Democratic party.

In the most recent online trend involving Swift, users have shared an image of her holding a banner supporting former President Donald Trump.

But the image is digitally fabricated.

Fact check: Image of Taylor Swift wearing anti-Trump T-shirt is altered

The original picture of Swift, which was captured by Getty Images at a Sept. 24 game between the Chiefs and the Chicago Bears, shows the singer smiling with her hands clutched to her chest.

Though Swift hasn't yet endorsed a candidate for the 2024 presidential election, she told V Magazine in 2020 that she would be voting for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in that year's election. She also posted about the endorsement on social media at the time.

Swift has publicly advocated for several progressive causes in the past, including feminism, the LGBTQ community and the pro-choice movement.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Lead Stories and AFP also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Image of Taylor Swift holding Trump banner is edited | Fact check