The NFL season is less than two weeks away, but the Chiefs are embroiled in one more mild controversy. It just doesn't involve anyone actually on the team.
Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany, found herself at the center of a political firestorm on Friday — not for something she said, but for something she liked on Instagram. That "like" was enough to spark outrage, including among Taylor Swift fans who followed Mahomes after Swift and Travis Kelce started dating last year.
Presidential elections naturally create a hyperpolitical atmosphere, and Mahomes isn't the first figure in sports to draw attention for even a slight hint of a political preference. Unlike many others, though, she's hitting back at the critics.
Here's what you need to know about Mahomes' Donald Trump controversy and how she's responding to the outrage.
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Brittany Mahomes-Donald Trump controversy, explained
Brittany Mahomes received social media backlash after fans noticed she liked a post by former president and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Instagram.
The "like" came on a post that outlined the Republican Party's platform for the 2024 election. There isn't any indication Mahomes liked other posts by Trump, and she hasn't publicly expressed her support for any candidate in this election or any other.
That didn't stop outraged critics from telling her how they feel — yes, including fans of Swift. Mahomes received enough negative comments that she felt the need to swiftly hit back and address the situation without actually addressing what sparked it.
Here's a look at how Mahomes responded to the vitriol.
Brittany Mahomes Instagram response to critics
More than a few critics expressed their outrage with Mahomes' social media activity, but the wife of the NFL superstar hit back with a message posted to her Instagram story on Friday.
"To be a hater as an adult, you have to have some deep rooted issues you refuse to heal from childhood," the post reads. "There's no reason your brain is fully developed and you hate to see others doing well."
The Mahomes family is no stranger to online vitriol, which comes with the territory of winning three championships in one of the world's most popular sports leagues, but political backlash can be an entirely different animal. That's one reason many athletes choose to stay out of it altogether.
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As for her husband, the Chiefs quarterback said in April that he's steering clear of any endorsement in this year's election.
“I don’t want to pressure anyone to vote for a certain president,” Mahomes told Time magazine, instead encouraging fans to "use their voice" and do their own research. He advocated for voter turnout in 2020 but did not endorse a candidate.
Patrick Mahomes' comments came at a time when the race was shaping up much differently, more than three months before Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid, but there isn't any indication he's changed his stance on any potential endorsement.
Other athletes and coaches are taking a much different stance. Warriors star Stephen Curry and his coach, Steve Kerr, endorsed Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby and QB Gardner Minshew were pictured with Trump on Friday.
Brittany Mahomes might not plan to get involved in politics as the election approaches, but she learned that sometimes isn't enough to avoid accidentally entering the political arena for at least a day.