Let’s face it, there are few people on the planet right now more famous than Taylor Swift. From her billion-dollar Eras Tour to her high-profile relationship with Travis Kelce, the artist and her music just seem to be everywhere. But what if there’s more to her fame than hard work and catchy tunes? That’s what Fox News anchor Jesse Watters seemed to suggest on his show, as he discussed whether Swift could have been recruited by the government. The issue came up on The View afterward, and Whoopi Goldberg couldn’t help but issue a strong response.
Jesse Watters Suggests Taylor Swift Is A Government Asset
Fox News correspondent Jesse Watter — who replaced Tucker Carlson after the network parted ways with Carlson last year — shared his thoughts about the Midnights artist on the January 9 edition of Jesse Watters Primetime. During the segment he discussed Taylor Swift’s star power, and how such popularity might be of interest to the government. In Watters' words:
Have you ever wondered why or how she blew up like this? Well, around four years ago, the Pentagon’s Psychological Operations Unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting. What kind of asset? A psy-op for combating online misinformation.
The host then showed a clip from a 2019 NATO conference in which someone uses Taylor Swift as an example of someone who has influence. Jesse Watters then said the government has a history of working with celebrities to push certain agendas, and suggested that Swift’s large social media following had the power to influence voters. He continued:
When she posted the link to the Vote.org, like hundreds of thousands of young Taylor Swift fans all of a sudden registered to vote. I wonder who got to her from the White House or from wherever?
The anchor’s suggestion that the government might have been behind the singer urging her followers to vote, however, rubbed some people the wrong way, including Whoopi Goldberg, as she discussed the claim with her fellow co-hosts on The View.
Whoopi Goldberg Responds To The Fox News Anchor: ‘I’m Tired Of Dumb People’
The Jesse Watters Primetime clip was shown on The View as the ladies discussed the day's Hot Topics, and Whoopi Goldberg got fired up, having this to say about the Fox News host’s Taylor Swift theory:
You people worry about the weirdest stuff. She got people to go out and vote, including probably all kinds of people that you’d rather not have voted. But you know what, we’re gonna continue to suggest that folks who have the wherewithal to say, ‘Hey, if you want to make a change in the world, go ahead and go out and vote, that’s our biggest thing.’ If she can get people to do that, why would you say that was a bad thing, or talk about it like you’re disparaging it? What kind of bull– [pauses] baloney is that?
The other co-hosts had thoughts about why Taylor Swift might be the target of such theories, also questioning why Jesse Watters felt this particular topic was so important amidst everything else going on in the world. But Whoopi Goldberg was apparently over it, telling her colleagues:
I’m tired of dumb people. I’m tired of it. I can’t handle it.
I guess we know where the EGOT winner stands on that particular conspiracy theory. You can catch more of the Fox News anchor’s commentary on Jesse Watters Primetime at 8 p.m. ET weeknights, and tune in to see The View co-hosts share their own opinions on the hottest headlines at 11 a.m. ET weekdays on ABC. Also be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule for all of the upcoming premieres.
