Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters Wednesday that he will not endorse any candidate in the upcoming election. He is focused on leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a third consecutive Super Bowl win, something no NFL team has ever accomplished.
Mahomes' mission comes during an election year in which the quarterback is surrounded by opposing political forces in his personal life.
Mahomes' wife, Brittany Mahomes, received public praise from former President Trump during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday. After Taylor Swift, the girlfriend of Mahomes' teammate and close friend Travis Kelce, announced her support for Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday night, Trump said he “liked” Brittany Mahomes more than Swift anyway.
“I actually like Mrs. Mahomes a lot more, if you want to know the truth. She's a huge Trump fan,” Trump said on “Fox & Friends.” “I like Brittany. I think Brittany's great.”
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Patrick Mahomes was asked about the former president's comments during a news conference Wednesday as the Chiefs prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I think Brittany does a lot for the community,” the 28-year-old quarterback said. “I do a lot for the community to help people stand up and give them the opportunity to use their voice.
“In political times, people are going to use things here and there, but I can't let that affect the way I do my job every day of my life and try to live it as best as I can.”
An animated Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs in December during a game against the New England Patriots. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Brittany has been at the center of a whirlwind of online debates between supporters and critics in recent weeks. It all started with a simple “like” on Instagram about Trump’s 2024 political platform on August 13. The “liked” images quickly spread across social media, sparking such a fierce backlash that the pregnant mother posted comments to defend herself and her beliefs.
She later liked a comment that read “TRUMP-VANCE 2024” on one of her Instagram posts.
Taylor Swift's online fan pages were responsible for several of Brittany's likes going viral. Swift has endorsed Democratic candidates since 2018, when she supported Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper in the 2018 U.S. midterm elections in Tennessee.
Then in 2020, she endorsed Joe Biden for president, and her endorsement of Harris on Tuesday is likely to have a stronger impact. It's her first presidential endorsement since her popularity surged thanks to her Eras tour and her public relationship with Kelce.
Swift's relationship with Kelce resulted in several publicized moments between the pop star and Brittany during Chiefs games.
From left, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes pose for a photo as they watch Jannik Sinner of Italy and Taylor Frit of the United States at the US Open on September 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Patrick, Brittany, Swift and Kelce attended the US Open men's singles final in New York on Sunday. The Chiefs secured their opening night victory on Thursday, leaving the group free to watch Italy's Jannik Sinner defeat American Taylor Fritz in a luxury section of Arthur Ashe Stadium. Brittany and Swift were seen hugging and talking during the event.
Her appearance at the U.S. Open came days after Swift and Brittany sat in separate suites at Arrowhead Stadium. Brittany and Swift had a history of sitting in suites together when Swift started going to games last year after going public with her relationship with Kelce. Seeing the two together during broadcast breaks became a staple for the Chiefs during games last season, but not on opening night last week, when the Chiefs celebrated their third Super Bowl of the Mahomes-Kelce era.
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With Swift's official endorsement of Harris, questions have arisen among fans and voters about whether Kelce will back a candidate.
In March, Kelce told the Los Angeles Times that he and Swift shared values after having begun dating just months earlier, both at the age of 33.
“I think the values that we stand for and just, you know, who we are as people,” Kelce said when asked why he thought people were so fascinated with their relationship. “We love shining a light on each other, shining a light on the people that help us and support us. And, on top of that, I feel like we both have a love for life.”
Taylor Swift, left, hugs Brittany Mahomes as Travis Kelce looks on during the men's singles final between Jannik Sinner of Italy and Taylor Fritz of the United States at the US Open on September 8, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Patrick and Brittany have a different love story.
Brittany and Patrick were born and raised in East Texas and began dating while attending Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas. Whitehouse is a town with a population of about 8,500 and has a history of voting Republican, according to Data USA. The couple married in March 2022 and have two children, 3-year-old Sterling Skye and 1-year-old Patrick “Bronze” Lavon Mahomes III.
Shortly after scrutiny began over Brittany liking Trump's content on Instagram, Patrick wished her a happy birthday on August 31.
On a recent episode of the “Whoop” podcast, Brittany said she leaned on her husband, the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, to get through the recent public scrutiny.
“Having him to help me through it has helped me a lot because he's so good at handling that stuff and blocking people and doing all that kind of stuff,” he said. “Having him by my side and guiding me, mentoring me, has helped me a lot. I think that's what's gotten us to where we are now.”
“I think the main thing that I always told myself was, 'Stop worrying about what people think, especially people who don't even know you,'” she said. “I think social media used to affect me a lot, and now it's like, honestly, I don't give a shit what people have to say about me anymore.”
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Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, says Super Bowl victories will never be the same following the mass shooting at the team's celebratory rally on Feb. 14, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Brittany did suggest in an Aug. 26 Instagram Story that she and Patrick might disagree on some issues. “Contrary to the tone of the world today… you can disagree with someone and still love them. You can have different opinions and still be kind,” she wrote.
Patrick has never He has publicly expressed support for a political figure or affiliation. In April, he told Time that he would not discuss who he would vote for in the upcoming election. He stood by that belief on Wednesday.
“I don't want my position and my platform to be used to support a candidate or do whatever,” Mahomes reiterated. “I think my role is to inform people to register to vote. It's to inform people to do their own research and then make the best decision for themselves and their family.”
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