It has been a busy week for American pop culture as the Super Bowl took place Sunday amid all of the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. The game was sloppy and mostly uninteresting, as were the halftime show and commercials. The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off an overtime win over the favored San Francisco 49ers, and America can now put away Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift until next season.
One of the more interesting and perhaps most telling things to happen during Super Bowl week came in the run-up to the big game. Since the week before the game is as much about celebrities and partying as it is about the game, it isn’t unusual for some to make political statements. However, few were ready for this one.
Sports Illustrated model and host of the “Barely Filtered” podcast, Kristen Louelle Gaffney, decided to use the Maxim Super Bowl Party Saturday night to unveil her candidate for president and show off a new, custom-made handbag. The San Diego native carried a beaded bag with “MAGA” fashioned on it, proudly displaying her support for current GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.
Gaffney explained her fashion decision: “I was most excited for this event because my favorite rapper and idol 50 Cent was performing, so I saved my favorite look for then. 50 Cent is a very smart man and coincidentally just publicly showed Trump some love.” Gaffney is referring to 50 Cent publicly wondering if Trump might be the answer to the immigration issue dogging the nation.
She added: “I love when the universe does things like that.” It is a bold move that in years past would have caused scorn and many salty tears from the left. However, the tide seems to be turning to an extent as more people are waking up to the realities facing the nation under Joe Biden. Unlike in years past, Gaffney reported no backlash. She said: “Funny enough, I got an enormous amount of support. People absolutely loved this purse. Guys gave me high-fives, girls gave me praise.”
That is a far cry from years past, and perhaps a good sign moving forward that more folks are coming around to Trump’s message of putting America first. She continued: “Trump embraces the American dream, he protects our children, and he puts our country first. We should stop questioning the man who wants to Make America Great Again, and start questioning those who are challenging the concept of putting our country and our people first.”
Gaffney is close friends with former Miss Universe and current fiance Olivia Culpo and has been by her side at most 49er games this season. Gaffney introduced the pair years ago, and she is married to former New England Patriot running back Tyler Gaffney. Gaffney continued: “I knew there would be lots of press this weekend, so I wanted to make a statement. It may sound silly, but I feel God has put this on my heart to use my platform to encourage others to use their voice to stand for what’s important.”
It appears the tide may indeed be turning back to Donald Trump and the peace and prosperity most of us enjoyed during his Presidency. Hopefully, people like Louelle Gaffney will stand loud and proud and spread support for the former president as he tries once again to make America great.
