According to a recently published excerpt from a book about former President Donald Trump, Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass by Ramin Setoodeh, the author, a co-editor of Variety, alleged that Trump made an out-of-pocket comment about Taylor Swift, asking whether she was “legitimately liberal” or just putting on an “act.”
The context to that excerpt, released by Variety on Monday, June 10, is that Trump was apparently speaking to Setoodeh about Swift and ended up commenting on her looks. political beliefs, and musical success, saying more or less exactly what one who has heard Trump speak off-the-cuff about people before would say about her.
Trump started with a compliment, saying that she is “very beautiful.” He said, “I think she’s beautiful — very beautiful! I find her very beautiful.” He then commented on her political views and the fact that she probably doesn’t like him, saying, “I think she’s liberal. She probably doesn’t like Trump.” Then, returning to compliments, Trump said, “I hear she’s very talented, I think she’s very beautiful, actually — unusually beautiful!”
Then, turning for a second time from her beauty to her political beliefs, Trump questioned whether she is really a liberal or is just pretending to be one, presumably to win over her young, female supporters. Trump asked, “She is liberal, or is that just an act? She’s legitimately liberal? It’s not an act? It surprises me that a country star can be successful being liberal.”
Trump then noted that at least one other country star, Garth Brooks, is liberal as well. He said, “Garth Brooks is liberal. Explain that! How does it happen?” Garth Brooks is indeed liberal. He, during an interview as the Bud Light controversy raged, said not only that his Nashville bar would be selling Bud Light but that those conservatives boycotting it are “assholes.” In his words: “Yes, we’re going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It’s not our decision to make. If you come into this house, love one another. f you’re an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway.”
Even worse, Brooks then doubled down on that attack on conservatives…despite his audience generally being conservative, saying, “I get it. Everybody’s got their opinions. But inclusiveness is always going to be me. I think diversity is the answer to the problems that are here and the answer to the problems that are coming. So I love diversity. All included, so all are welcome. I understand that might not be other people’s opinions, but that’s okay. They have their opinions, they have their beliefs, I have mine.”
In any case, Trump has commented on Swift before. Posting about her on Truth Social in February of 2024, he said, “I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists. Joe Biden didn’t do anything for Taylor, and never will. There’s no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money. Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably can’t stand me!”
Swift, like Brooks, has attacked conservatives before. For example, in her 2019 song “You Need to Calm Down,” Swift attacked conservative Christians for their stance on sexuality. Watch the relevant clip of the music video here:
"*" indicates required fields