Has Donald Trump once again come between a group of friends – this time between Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes, with Swift apparently doing everything in her power not to be seen with her former best friend at the Kansas City Chiefs game on Thursday night?

It’s unlikely that Swift or Mahomes will ever publicly admit that there is tension between them – especially because of Mahomes’ recent attempt to signal her support for Trump and his bid to return to the White House.

But Swift sent out her own signals on Thursday night, showing that she didn’t seem particularly keen to be seen in the company of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ wife. The “Shake it Off” singer was photographed at the Chiefs’ game against the Ravens, sitting separately from Mahomes while cheering on her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his team to a 27-20 victory.

The split seating arrangement came a day after the polarizing former president personally and publicly thanked Mahomes at Truth Social for “staunchly defending” him and for apparently “recognizing the fact that MAGA is the largest and most powerful political movement in the history of our now failing country.”

The physical distance between the two women at the game — each of them cheering on the Chiefs from their respective luxury suites — was in stark contrast to the 2023 NFL season, TMZ and Daily Beast reported. Throughout last fall, the two famous “WAGs” were usually inseparable at Chiefs games, as they repeatedly hung out together in the same suite, hugging and dancing, TMZ and Daily Beast noted. TMZ said Swift’s “normal” seat at Arrowhead Stadium was usually next to the quarterback’s wife and next to Kelce’s parents.

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes and Ashley Avignone celebrate after a Kansas City Chiefs touchdown in the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

But Mahomes’ possible pro-MAGA views could well put her at odds with Swift in this hotly contested presidential election. Both sides in the 2024 race argue that the future of the nation is at stake, while Trump’s critics — who famously include Swift — believe the Republican nominee poses an existential threat to democracy and the personal freedoms of many Americans, especially women.

Swift has not yet endorsed any candidate in the race, and there is no doubt that Kamala Harris would love to add her to her long list of celebrity supporters. The “Cruel Summer” singer seems to be under pressure from many Swifties to support Harris’ bid to become the first woman elected U.S. president. There would definitely be precedent for Swift to voice such an endorsement. She publicly supported the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket in 2020 and criticized Trump in the past for “fanning the fires of white supremacy and racism.”

Perhaps Swift’s relationship with Kelce complicates matters – the tight end is a good friend of Patrick Mahomes and has a successful professional partnership with him on the football field. Patrick and Brittany Mahomes have also hung out with Swift and Kelce privately, most recently as guests at Swift’s Rhode Island mansion.

Patrick Mahomes, by the way, has stressed that he will not support either candidate in the election. He previously joined LeBron James’ “More Than a Vote” campaign to increase black voter turnout in the 2020 election. But he did not endorse any presidential candidate this year. In April, Mahomes spoke to Time magazine as one of the magazine’s 100 most influential people. He said: “I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a particular president. I want people to use their vote, no matter who they believe in. I want them to be informed.”

However, his wife, who is pregnant with their third child, has indicated that she will not shy away from voicing her opinion. Although she has not explicitly endorsed the former reality TV star, she has shown her support through her actions on social media, which has led many of her fans to accept that she is pro-Trump, according to TMZ and other media outlets.

Mahomes first hinted at her support for Trump and his running mate JD Vance three weeks ago, after liking and then unliking an August 13 Instagram post by the GOP candidate, Vanity Fair reported at the time. The post shared the “GOP platform for 2024,” which included points such as “conducting the largest deportation effort in American history” and “keeping men out of women’s sports.”

Mahomes faced heavy criticism for initially liking Trump’s post, but she subsequently fired back with a text-only story on Instagram that did not directly reference Trump, Vanity Fair reported.

“I mean it sincerely,” she wrote. “To be a hater as an adult, you have to have deep-rooted issues that you have refused to heal since childhood. There is no reason why you hate when your brain is fully developed and you hate when others are doing well.”

Then last week, Mahomes appeared to “double down” on her support for Trump when TMZ reported that she liked a comment on one of her recent Instagram posts. The comment Mahomes liked read, “Glad you’re not backing down. We are all entitled to our own opinions and shouldn’t be pressured.” The message was captioned with an applause emoji.

Many Trump supporters have flooded Mahomes’ social media feeds with praise for her support of the 45th president. “Don’t let the liberals hurt you, you will gain supporters if you support Trump,” one wrote. But others have criticized her for supporting a candidate who is a convicted felon, who “is dangerous and cannot be normalized” and who would take away her own daughter’s rights.

After Thursday’s game, Swift and Kelce were photographed leaving Arrowhead Stadium, with Swift wearing a statement Versace corset and denim shorts. Page Six reported that they went to one of his favorite restaurants in Kansas City, Missouri, where he hosted a small party to celebrate the Chiefs’ victory during their first game of the season.

Sources told Page Six that Swift came to the party and seemed to be having fun. “Taylor was a little drunk,” an insider told Page Six, laughing at how the pop star was able to relax and “let loose.” Page Six reported that Patrick Mahomes also came to the party, but there was no information on whether his wife was also in attendance.

The Daily Beast acknowledged that it’s not yet clear whether Brittany Mahomes and Swift are “experiencing a rift in their relationship.” But “given that the two spent the post-Chiefs games dancing, cheering on their loved ones, and hugging, and are now sitting in separate suites, it’s safe to assume there could be trouble in paradise,” the outlet added.

Originally published: September 6, 2024 at 1:21 p.m.