Shannon Thaler
Pop queen Taylor Swift’s expected appearance at Super Bowl LVIII to cheer on the Chiefs and her boyfriend Travis Kelce raised concerns about “credible” security threats.
At a press conference on how the US Department of Homeland Security plans to handle the blockbuster event in Las Vegas, “Inside Edition” reporter Lisa Guerrero asked DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about Swift.
“Every single year the Super Bowl has enormous security. But this year, fans are really excited about Taylor Swift,” Guerrero said during Wednesday’s Q&A session.
“There has also been some very negative pushback against her visibility at football games,” Guerrero added. “Have you seen any additional threats, any credible threats that are related to Taylor Swift?”
Mayorkas responded that “we have not” seen any threats involving Swift leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium.
However, the DHS secretary said that law enforcement is “already at a heightened state of vigilance and fulfilling our responsibility” when “there’s an additional celebrity who will bring more attention.”
“I have to say that we are extraordinarily vigilant when we bring 65,000 people together in a stadium when we have 330,000 people visiting a city for a major sporting event,” Mayorkas told Guerrero in an exchange earlier reported on by Mediaite.
“And when we have millions of people around the world watching it, our priorities, the safety and security of everyone in attendance, and that is what we are focused upon.”
Far-right personalities including former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy have speculated that Swift and Kelce have a scheme to rig the Super Bowl in an effort to endorse Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential election in November.
Ramaswamy’s prediction earned conspiracy theory status when football fans noted that Kelce starred in Pfizer’s vaccine campaigns — a ploy executed by the high-profile lovers “all to spread DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA,” according to Donald Trump-supporting podcast host Mike Crispi.
Swift’s expected to fly into Vegas shortly before kickoff after performing the latest leg of her “Eras Tour” in Japan.
Swifties know that their icon is expected to board her private jet after her final show at Tokyo Dome in Japan’s capital and fly 12 hours across the Pacific to catch the big game.
For die-hard fans looking to make the same trek across the world, it could cost them six figures, according to an analysis by Bloomberg News.
When factoring in tickets to both the “Eras Tour” and the Super Bowl; flights to and from Japan, Las Vegas, and place of origin; hotels, and food, the entire whirlwind trip could cost as much as $119,000.
The total is twice the average annual salary for the average US worker — and that’s without factoring in additional expenses for food and ground transportation.
Those looking to pinch pennies may be able to pull it off for about $7,800, Bloomberg found.
Tickets to a Swift concert in Tokyo are going for between $231 and $7,300 in the secondary marketplace, while the cheapest seat at the Super Bowl is selling for around $5,008.
Meanwhile, with Swift expected to be in town, the Las Vegas nightlife scene has reportedly amped up its offerings.
The Four Seasons hotel in Sin City, for example, added a Swift-themed cocktail to its Super Bowl lineup — the Lavender Haze, a nod to a song from Swift’s “Midnights” album.
The Silverton Casino Lodge is offering the “87/89 Big Game package,” a deal that includes a “Go Taylor Swift’s boyfriend” T-shirt and 13 red roses in honor of Swift’s favorite number.
Las Vegas visitors can also participate in Swift-themed bets, including Station Casinos’ STN Sports team’s prop bet: Will Travis Kelce have more receptions in the championship game than his pop star girlfriend’s total number of 10 platinum albums?
This post was originally posted by New York Post
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