No evidence supports the claim that the Pentagon proposed making Taylor Swift an asset. The clip shown by Fox News host Jesse Watters came from a public, NATO-organized conference in 2019. Its speaker, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory research engineer Alicia Marie Bargar, used Swift as an example of an influential online person while discussing social influence and misinformation—not as someone the Pentagon planned to recruit.
Where the clip came from
On January 9, 2024, Watters aired an excerpt from a presentation at the 11th International Conference on Cyber Conflict, a public event organized by NATO in 2019. He characterized the footage as showing that the Pentagon’s Psychological Operations Unit had floated turning Swift into an asset to counter online misinformation. That interpretation is not supported by the footage as described in reporting by Lead Stories and PolitiFact.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
![The Life of a Showgirl[Sweat & Vanilla Perfume Orange Glitter Vinyl]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51kY4q0L+2L._SL160_.jpg)
|
The Life of a Showgirl[Sweat & Vanilla Perfume Orange Glitter Vinyl] | $26.30 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
![1989 (Taylor's Version)[2 LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bwpFCj9rL._SL160_.jpg)
|
1989 (Taylor's Version)[2 LP] | $44.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
![folklore[Beige 2 LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41AxdFCXhhL._SL160_.jpg)
|
folklore[Beige 2 LP] | $34.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Speak Now (Taylor's Version)[Orchid Marbled 3 LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41meqmUyoWL._SL160_.jpg)
|
Speak Now (Taylor's Version)[Orchid Marbled 3 LP] | $45.97 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
![1989 [2 LP]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41JVbqHmtGL._SL160_.jpg)
|
1989 [2 LP] | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Bargar was a research engineer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, not a Pentagon official. After the Fox segment aired, she told Business Insider that she still did not work for NATO or the Pentagon. Lead Stories quoted her describing the Swift reference as “an incidental example of a famous person to explain a social network analysis concept to the audience.”
What Bargar was discussing
The presentation concerned social influence as one possible way to encourage behavior change and counter misinformation. Bargar explained that she included Swift because she was influential online. Lead Stories also reported that the presentation used fictional Game of Thrones characters as examples, consistent with an illustrative discussion rather than a proposal to recruit Swift.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Taylor Swift's 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, will be released worldwide October 3, 2025
The distinction is important: the conference included discussion of social influence, but the excerpt does not establish that the Pentagon proposed using Swift as an asset. The Washington Post described the clip’s attribution as inaccurate and reported that it showed a Johns Hopkins researcher briefly mentioning a celebrity as an example: The Washington Post.
The Pentagon’s response
The Pentagon publicly rejected the allegation. Deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh was quoted by Politico saying, “… as for this conspiracy theory, we are going to shake it off.” Politico later reported a more direct denial from Singh: “Taylor Swift is not part of DOD psychological operation. Period.”
Rank #2
- The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th
Why the claim spread
The allegation circulated amid speculation about whether Swift might endorse Joe Biden in the 2024 election. Some versions also connected her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and the team’s Super Bowl appearance to a supposed effort to help Biden. Those were separate claims; their circulation is not evidence of a Pentagon operation.
The Washington Post reported that the clip was posted online by Mike Benz with an inaccurate attribution before Watters’s broadcast brought the claim to a broader television audience. The context of election speculation helps explain the attention, but it does not substantiate the accusation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteRank #3
- Swift's album, folklore, now on Beige 2 LP coming July 23rd! "Most of the things I had planned this summer didn't end up happening, but there is something I hadn't planned on that DID happen
What Swift’s voter-registration post does—and does not—show
Vote.org recorded more than 35,000 voter registrations on National Voter Registration Day in 2023 after Swift encouraged her Instagram followers to register, according to PolitiFact; the Associated Press also reported more than 35,000 registrations associated with the post: Associated Press. That figure describes registrations recorded after the post. It does not show government coordination, establish that Swift was an operative, or demonstrate that the post changed anyone’s voting choice.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
- Speak Now (Taylor's Version) features 22 songs, including 6 previously unreleased Songs From The Vault
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
