Before February’s Super Bowl, there was a viral conspiracy that the Kansas City Chiefs colluded with the US government, the NFL, and Taylor Swift to help President Joe Biden get re-elected. That didn’t happen, but a recent survey suggests that people in the NFL hold that kind of power.
The Kansas City Chiefs were the subject of a conspiracy theory
This winter, a conspiracy theory suggested that the league rigged the Chiefs’ playoff success. The goal was for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, to advocate for Biden during the Super Bowl. People took the conspiracy so seriously that Donald Trump’s campaign and the US Department of Defense commented on the situation involving Swift, Biden, and the Chiefs.
The Chiefs won the Super Bowl in breathtaking fashion via an overtime touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite having the opportunity if she wanted, Swift didn’t use her airtime in the Super Bowl to push voters to support Biden.
NFL players could sway voters
However, a recently published survey by ActionNetwork.com suggests that an athlete could convince NFL fans to vote for a particular candidate.
Over one in five NFL fans could be convinced to vote for a presidential candidate based on a player endorsement:
Despite the majority of NFL fans saying they wouldn’t be influenced by their favorite player endorsing a candidate on social media, 22% of NFL fans either strongly or somewhat agreed in response to the question: If your favorite NFL player was endorsing a presidential candidate on social media, would this influence your opinion?
Per the survey, men were more open to being influenced than women:
Male NFL fans appear to be more influenced by their favorite players when it comes to politics, with 24% of men either strongly agreeing or somewhat agreeing vs. 20% of women expressing similar sentiments.
It’s crazy to think nearly one in four men would be willing to vote for a certain candidate based on an NFL player’s opinion. However, these athletes hold plenty of power in our society based on their pedestal. That’s why political commentary by outspoken players like Aaron Rodgers and Colin Kaepernick should be fact-checked.
Young people under the age of 24 are more likely to be persuaded than older generations. Self-identified Democrats are more likely to be influenced than Republicans:
Republican NFL fans are less likely to be influenced by their favorite player, with 47% disagreeing that their opinion could be swayed, compared to 41% of Democratic fans.
Will Donald Trump or Kamala Harris recruit NFL endorsements?
The 2024 NFL season will coincide with the general election. Given the importance of swing voters in the Presidential election, it might make sense for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris to recruit as many NFL players as possible to endorse them this fall.
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