CHICAGO: Speculation was rife on the Internet about who would be the much-anticipated special guest on the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, with figures from Beyoncé to George W. Bush in attendance.
Beyoncé was the name that lit up social media ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris' primetime address.
Celebrity gossip site TMZ fueled the fire with an all-caps headline on its homepage that screamed “performing at the final night of the Democratic National Convention!” above a photo of the megastar.
Taylor Swift was also one of the names circulating in media and political circles, with celebrity watchers trying to determine the whereabouts of private jets the pop icon has previously used.
Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, now a U.S. senator who has been critical of former President Donald Trump, was even forced to deny it was him.
“Contrary to what the fake news is saying, I will not be the surprise guest at tonight's Democratic National Convention. I'm guessing it will be Beyoncé or Taylor Swift,” Romney posted on X. “Very disappointing, I know!”
Fellow Republican George W. Bush was floated as a contender for the surprise spot, with “Republicans Against Trump” posting a photo of Bush hugging then-first lady Michelle Obama to the X-based account's 765,000 followers.
One joker suggested it would be the divisive Raygun, whose breakdancing efforts at the Paris Olympics spawned a plethora of mocking memes.
Democratic convention organizers have remained tight-lipped about the identity of the special guest.
