Right-wing US media has zeroed in on Taylor Swift. They portray the pop star as a “Pentagon agent’ who wants to help Joe Biden get re-elected.

Millions of people apparently believe that. Almost one in five Americans believes conspiracy myths about the singer. The question is whether right-wing circles are doing themselves a favor by messing with Swift and her devoted fans. If they trigger such a defiance reaction, it could be enough to influence the election result in one of the crucial swing states.