In an extremely tight race for the US presidency, popular support can make the difference. And Donald Trump has understood this well. For several weeks, the Republican has been trying to use the undeclared support for his candidacy of Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, to his advantage.
This Wednesday morning, the day after his failed debate with Kamala Harris, Donald Trump was a guest on a Fox News show. Asked about Taylor Swift’s support for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, which had been announced the day before, the former White House incumbent dodged the question, trying to change the subject. “Well, I prefer Mrs. Mahomes, if you want the whole truth,” he replied.
Once the focus shifted to the athlete’s wife, Trump persisted. “She’s a big Trump fan,” he said. “I like Brittany. Brittany’s great. She’s been in the news a lot this week. She’s a big MAGA supporter (Make America Great Again). She’s the one I prefer, much more than Taylor Swift,” he assured again, mocking in passing the singer who, according to him, “will probably pay the price (of his support for Kamala Harris) in its sales on the market”.
If Donald Trump is singing Brittany Mahomes’ praises, it’s probably to try to diminish the monumental infatuation that Taylor Swift is generating. Since the pop singer’s relationship with Travis Kelce, a football player who plays on the same team as Patrick Mahomes, was made official, the two women have been regularly seen in the stands, even suggesting that they are friends.
A budding relationship that many “Swifties” blame their idol for, judging that the values of the two women are diametrically opposed. Brittany Mahomes had, for example, defended her brother-in-law Jackson Mahomes, accused of sexual assault. “He is a human being who is trying to live his life and find his way (…) you have no right to say bullshit about him. So it’s better to shut up,” she wrote in April 2023 about the comments on the case.
In early September, Brittany Mahomes liked several pro-Trump posts on social media, including one that featured Trump’s flagship measures such as “closing the borders” or defunding schools “promoting critical race theory, radical gender ideology.” She later removed her likes.
In response to the criticism, she addressed her “haters” in an Instagram story. “To be a hater as an adult, you have to have deep-rooted issues that you refuse to heal since childhood,” she wrote. She added: “There is no reason for your brain to be fully developed and for you to hate seeing others succeed.”
Contrasting images between the two women
Still, Brittany Mahomes has never openly positioned herself in favor of the former president, which does not prevent the latter from using her image. “I want to thank the beautiful Brittany Mahomes for having defended me so strongly, as well as the fact that MAGA is the largest and most powerful political movement in the history of our country today bankrupt,” he had written on his network Truth Social on September 4.
By mentioning Mahomes, Donald Trump is trying to pit the two women against each other. In her message of support for Harris, Taylor Swift described herself as a ” childless cat lady » reference to a misogynistic statement by Republican running mate JD Vance, targeting childless women. By taking a stand on issues such as the defense of sexual minorities or the right to abortion, the pop icon has a significant influence on American youth.
Mahomes, on the other hand, fits more with conservative American standards. A former professional soccer player in Iceland, she ended her career—but owns a professional club—to marry her high school sweetheart, who is now a top athlete. Patrick and Brittany, now nearly 30, are parents of two children and are expecting a third little girl.
On her Instagram account with over two million subscribers, Brittany showcases the family’s well-ordered little life. Between a few evangelical messages, she posts photos of her children, her dogs or her trips to her husband’s matches. Enough to shape her an image of an ideal mother, and please Republican supporters.
