Aussie conservative trolls Taylor Swift fans at Sydney Airport in odd stunt

Kobie Thatcher describes herself as a rock music enthusiast and commentator on Australian and American politics, with 23,000 followers on X and another 2500 followers on Instagram.

Yesterday, Thatcher headed to Sydney Airport as Swift touched down in her private jet ahead of her first concert in the Harbour City on Friday.

She donned a red dress and held a handmade “Swifties for Trump” sign, standing back from a small crowd of fans who had gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the pop megastar.

“I’m certainly no fan of hers,” Thatcher wrote in a caption alongside the image. “But decided to give Trump-hating Taylor Swift an appropriate welcome as she touched down on her private jet in Sydney today.

“Featuring the fake news and a couple of fans in the background.”

Her stunt sparked a wave of backlash online.

“Imagine what a sad life you must have to do this,” wrote one.

“I literally could not imagine a more pathetic way to spend my day,” added another.

“What a waste of time and energy that is going to have no impact on anything at all. No doubt you weren’t even seen and if you were you would be ridiculed,” commented a third.

Wild Taylor Swift conspiracy theory gathers steam

Swift has earned the ire of some on the conservative side of politics, particularly supporters of former president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

As media outlet Vox explains, some see Swift as being “part of a psyop, or a psychological operation, that’s being used by the Pentagon to convince her followers to support Democrats”.

The bizarre conspiracy theory started to gain traction a few months ago when Swift began attending NFL games to support boyfriend Travis Kelce, a player for the Superbowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs.

“I wonder who’s going to win the Super Bowl next month,” former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wrote on X in January. “And I wonder if there’s a major presidential endorsement coming from an artificially culturally propped-up couple this fall.”

As Vox explained: “Those theories argue that Swift and Kelce’s relationship, and the attention it’s generated, is also part of a ploy to bolster Biden and that the Chiefs’ win was ‘rigged’ by the NFL so the couple can make a splashy endorsement.”

Swift endorsed President Joe Biden in the lead-up to the 2020 election, which he won, ousting Mr Trump from the White House after one term.

She hasn’t made any recent remarks about the upcoming election, however she has repeatedly encouraged her fans to enrol to vote.

Kobie Thatcher’s claim to fame

Thatcher rose to attention during the Covid pandemic, regularly taking aim at lockdowns, border closures, vaccine mandates and strict public health measures.

She has since made appearances on an internet radio show hosted by disgraced commentator Chris Smith, who was sacked from Sky News Australia and Nine Entertainment after allegations of inappropriate conduct towards a female colleague.

On his website, Smith describes her as being an outspoken critic of “woke ideology that has become prevalent in society”.

ABC panel grilled on Swift conspiracy

Swift Mania, which has well-and-truly gripped Australia as her Eras Tour unfolds locally, even infiltrated ABC show Q&A last night.

“As a self-confessed Swiftie, can you tell me why Donald Trump and his supporters are so threatened by Taylor Swift and have to make up conspiracies about her?” an audience member named Chloe asked the panel.

Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times in the UK, described the right-wing conspiracy theories swirling around Swift as “obviously nonsense”.

“I doubt she gets instructions from the White House on who to date,” Rachman said.

“But I think that I can understand the anxiety on the part of Republicans because she’s massively popular.

“And this is going to be, like all US presidential elections, very close. So, I will be very interested to see if she and her boyfriend … do come out and say something publicly and endorse Biden.

“I don’t believe it would be powerful enough to swing the election.”

And he’s sure Swift and her handlers “will also be thinking about the implications” of any endorsement given how polarising US politics is of late.

“Whether Taylor Swift actually wants to get into the middle of what is a brutal election, we’ll wait and see.”

Q&A host Patricia Karvelas briefly steered the conversation away from politics and to a question for those bemused by the Swift hysteria.

“Why are people investing money on the tickets and the merch and the waiting and the hysteria? What is it about this woman?”

Former tennis champion and best-selling author Jelena Dokic offered her thoughts.

“When was the last time we’ve had a singer who’s had (this) impact on so many people? She’s kind, she’s humble, she works hard. It’s the way she carries herself.

“I think she brings an extra thing. It’s not just the music. She’s genuine, she’s authentic. That’s what people love about her.”